AN OBEDIENCE TO DIVINE LOVE

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

Alay Kapwa Sunday

Is 50: 4 – 7 / Ps 22 / Phil 2: 6 – 11 / Lk 22: 14 – 23: 56 or 23: 1 – 49

“He humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.”

My dear friends, what we heard was not simply a narration of an event in the past. The passion and death of Jesus is love seen at its best. What he went through was the result of his obedience to the Father. “It is not obedience to a father who will his son to die – for what parent would ever wish such a fate on their child?” Rather, Jesus’ obedience even unto death is obedience to Divine Love. Since love is about assuring the other that he/she is not alone, then, Jesus had to undergo every kind of human misery and endure every human suffering except sin in order to prove to us that he is in love with us, the worst of sinners!

As Christians, this is also our challenge every day of our lives – that we remain obedient to Divine Love. Despite the many imperfections in the family, in our work, and in our community, we must not fall out of love. Amidst pain and suffering, we continue to remain obedient to love the way Jesus did -- He who never gave up on his loving despite the heavy cross.

What we heard earlier was a long passion narrative which took place almost 2000 years ago in Jerusalem. At this point, let me narrate to you a shorter passion narrative. This happened last March 4, barely less than a month, at the Missionaries of Charity Retirement Home in Aden, Yemen. This narrative is taken verbatim from the journal of the witness and sole survivor of the bloodshed:

“Friday, Midday, 4^th of March 2016. Sisters had Mass and breakfast as usual. As usual Father steps back in chapel to say prayers then to fix things around the compound.

8:00am – said Apostolate prayer and all 5 went home

8:30am – ISIS dressed in blue came in killed guard and driver. 5 Ethiopian men (Christian) began running to tell the Sisters ISIS was here to kill them. They were killed one by one. They tied them to trees, shote them in the head and smashed their heads.

The sisters ran 2 by 2 in different directions as they have mens and ladies home. 4 working women were screaming “Don’t kill the Sisters! Don’t kills the Sisters!” One was the cook for 15 years. They killed them as well.

They caught Sr Judit and Sr Reginet first, tied them up, shot them in the head, and smashed their heads. When the sisters ran in different directions, the Superior ran to the Convent to try to warn Father Tom.

They caught Sr Anselm and Sr Marguerite tied them, shot them in the head, and smashed their head in the sand.

Meanwhile the Superior could not get to the convent. It is not clear how many ISIS men were there. She was all the sisters and helpers killed. The ISIS men were already getting to the Convent so she went into the Refrigerator Room since the door was open. These ISIS men were everywhere searching for her as they knew they were 5. At least 3 times they came into the Fridgerator Room. She did not hide but remained standing behind the door. They never saw her. This is miraculous.

Meanwhile at the Convent, Father had heard the screaming and consumed all the Hosts. He had no time to consume the large Host so he threw the oil out of the sanctuary lamp and dissolved it in the water. A neighbor saw them put Father Tom in their car. They did not find any trace of Father anywhere. All religious articles were smashed and destroyed – Our Lady, Crucifix, altar, tabernacle, lectionary stand – even their prayer books and Bible.

10 or 1015am – the ISIS men finished and left.”

The four sisters were obedient not only to their religious congregation; more importantly they were obedient to Divine Love. It was this love that allowed them to remain faithful to their vocation.

How about us? What keeps us moving today? What binds us together as a family? What makes you faithful to your husband, your wife, your father, your mother, your children, and your friends? 

I hope that we be like Jesus… like the four Missionaries of Charity sisters who remained obedient to Divine Love even in death. Amen.

Special thanks to Kuya Chris Sagun for the editing work. 

Photo taken from www.bigcatholics.com