The WORD in other words (2016) by Fr. Martin I. Mandin, SVD. – St. Arnold Janssen Parish Shrine, Cainta, Rizal
Monday 4th Week of Easter
Photo : Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru
Archbishop Dom Helder Camara (Recife, Brazil) shocked his host, a rich landowner, when he refused an invitation to sleep in this person’s mansion. He chose to sleep in a chapel nearby owned by the rich man. For him the chapel was there to help the workers accept their sub human condition. Religion was being used as the opium of the people (D.H. Camara, The Conversion of a Bishop, 1979 ).
Contrary to the spirit of the good shepherd in the Gospel, a man can be a thief or a robber, if he enriches himself out of others’ misery. The presence of thieves and robbers necessitates a good shepherd. For Camara, a pastor in the Church must be reflective of Christ the good shepherd. Christ bears on his shoulders as he walks in today’s roads the underdeveloped world, underdeveloped people, the poor, the voiceless ( D.H. Camara, The Church and Colonialsm, 1969 ).
Development work led him to go beyond charitable acts but made him engage in social justice. Here, helping the poor to be agents of change was highlighted. Camara as a shepherd encountered various near death experiences: his house was sprayed with machine gun fire, killing those associated with him.
In fact, a hired assassin was sent to his house, knocking on his door. At the sight of the frail and diminutive bishop who identified himself, the man refused to kill. “I can’t kill you.” he said “You are the Lord’s.”( R. Ellsberg, All Saints, 1997 ).
Do we have a life that promotes action towards the poor, to the frail and the diminutive people around us? Christ the Good Shepherd is in us disturbing our conscience. Have we acted from that conscience? Let us not desire to be carried always on the shoulders of the good shepherd. We must be shepherds: instruments or enhancers of integral human development.
