Posted by The WORD in other words (2018) by Fr Patricio de los Reyes SVD – Liceo del Verbo Divino, Tacloban City
Monday 1st Week of Lent
Let me begin by quoting some lines from the song of Phil Collins – Another Day in Paradise. It says: “She calls out to the man on the street. Sir, can you help me? It’s cold and I have nowhere to sleep. Is there somewhere you can tell me? He walks on, doesn’t look back. He pretends he can’t hear her. Oh Lord, is there nothing more anybody can do. Oh Lord is there something you can say?”
Is there nothing more anybody can do? Poverty has always been a challenge for many of us. Is there anything more I can do to alleviate the hunger of my poor neighbors?
There are those who are marginalized, discriminated and pushed to the periphery of society because of their status in life. What do I do to make them part of my family, of our communities, of our church?
There are those who are naked – without clothes, stripped of their dignity and denied their rights? What do I do to seek justice for them?
There are those who suffer of illnesses, addiction of various kinds, of despair, frustrations, constant grief, insecurities, uncertainties and fear. Have I become a consoler and a journeyer? Or perhaps I have added more to their grief, frustrations and fears? What do I need to do to make them free? What do I need to do to impart life.
The Kingdom of God is about giving life not denying it for my neighbors. The Kingdom of God is not for the dead but for the living. So, what more do I need to do to create this Kingdom of life here and now? What more should I say?
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