http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041114.cfm
A refuge. A mighty champion. An escape. In all three of today's readings, we hear of God's faithfulness in dangerous times. "The Lord is with me!" cries the prophet Jeremiah. "God has rescued the life of the poor!" The psalmist exclaims, "Praised be the LORD! My God, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!" And in the Gospel, Jesus escapes from danger and returns to the place of his baptism.
But the readings are about more than God's
protection. They also paint a scary picture of persecution and betrayal.
"All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of
mine," laments Jeremiah. "I have shown you many good works from my
Father," Jesus confronts his persecutors. "For which of these are you
trying to stone me?" Both Jeremiah and Jesus are threatened because of
their courageous honesty - because of the challenge they issue to
radical faithfulness to God and God's kingdom.
These readings hit a nerve this week because we have
just learned that a Jesuit priest, Fr. Frans Van der Lugt, has been
killed in Syria. Fr. Van der Lugt left his home in the Netherlands to
devote his life to serving in Syria; after 35 years, he thought of Syria
as his home and his neighbors in the city of Homs, whether Christian or
Muslim, as his family. When civil war broke out, he sheltered some
families in his home, and refused to leave Syria when he was offered the
chance to flee to safety. His life was a courageous and challenging
witness to the love of God, and he was persecuted for it.
The prophet Jeremiah reassures us that God sees into
the mind and hearts of the just and protects those who are faithful.
But what to we do when that doesn't seem to happen? How do we make sense
of it? Our world today is full of stories like Fr. Van der Lugt's,
stories of pain, disappointment, and violence. How do we find God in
those stories?
What I appreciate about today's readings is their
honesty about the reality of suffering. Neither the prophet nor the
psalmist pretend that they aren't upset or in pain. Instead, they are
able to see and proclaim God's presence within the pain.
As we begin to walk through Holy Week, God will be
present within pain. God will be present, transforming us, within Jesus'
passion, death, and resurrection. God speaks to us in Fr. Van der
Lugt's death and powerful witness of love. Though we may not be called
to be martyrs, we can also be prophets in our own sacrifices and
suffering.
How can God transform you through the sacrifices that have to make for
your faith or for people you care for, or the ways that you suffer?
Assistant Director of Campus Ministry for Liturgy
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