Good Friday 2016: March 25 Traditional Feast of the Annunciation

Saint Augustine here witnesses to the ancient tradition that the Annunciation and Good Friday both occurred on March 25. It is remarkable to consider, as some liturgical scholars do, that the Feast of tha Annunciation is more ancient than the Christmas Feast. If the early Church was focused first on the mystery of the Passion and the Incarnation, then the choosing of December 25 as the feast of the birth of the Savior may have had as much to do with thinking 9 months after the Annunciation as with anything else.

In any case, the congruence of Annunciation and Good Friday is an ancient and venerable notion indeed. 

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On the Elder Brother and a text from Castellani

A striking observation from Leonardo Castellani:

"¡Oh Alma! ¿qué quieres?..."

"Oh Soul! What do yo want?..."

La ternura de Dios conquista

Ante todo, la «Virgen Morenita» nos enseña que la única fuerza capaz de conquistar el corazón de los hombres es la ternura de Dios. Aquello que encanta y atrae, aquello que doblega y vence, aquello que abre y desencadena no es la fuerza de los instrumentos o la dureza de la ley, sino la debilidad omnipotente del amor divino, que es la fuerza irresistible de su dulzura y la promesa irreversible de su misericordia.

Estas palabras, pronunciadas por el Papa Francisco al inicio de su peregrinación pastoral en México, sirven para encuadrar y entender mejor el mensaje evangélico que el Santo Padre deseaba compartir.

La gracia que me concedió el Señor de poder participar en el recorrido del Papa ha dejado huellas en mi alma que van más allá de las palabras. Sin embargo, con la ayuda de esa misma gracia del Señor, trataré de compartir un poco de lo que he recibido, ya que es parte esencial de la vida cristiana saber que una gracia dada a uno es para beneficio de todos.

El Papa celebró Misa en la Basílica de Guadalupe y nos hizo recordar que la visita de la Virgen en Tepeyac "en aquel amanecer de diciembre de 1531", despertó la esperanza de Juan Diego, y por medio de él, la de todo un pueblo. La gracia viene del cielo, tiene rostro humilde, y da esperanza. Podríamos decir que la gracia de Dios es reconocida en este mundo precisamente por esta dinámica de llegar con rostro humilde y dar esperanza.

 

La Virgen apareció en vestidura de los indígenas; se comunicó en su idioma. Aparece como madre esperando dar luz al que es la Luz del mundo. Se identificó con el pueblo sufriente, manifestando de tal manera la inmensa dignidad de aquellos que se consideraban de poco valor. Se manifestó no con armas y palabras grandiosas, sino como quien quiere consolar y luego animar. 

La Virgen pidió a Juan Diego ser un mensajero de la ternura que conquista el corazón humano. Aunque Juan lamentó su falta de capacidad para tal misión, Ella, con su mirada lo animó a tomar sobre sus hombros cansados el destino de un mundo nuevo. ¿Con qué fuerza pudo la Virgen convencer al pequeño de aceptar la misión? Sólo con la promesa que no sería abandonado en la tarea: "¿Acaso no estoy yo aquí, yo que tengo el honor de ser tu Madre?" La gracia de saberse uno acompañado por un amor infatigable supera toda duda y cada obstáculo.

El anuncio del Evangelio siempre sigue este perfil de visita inesperada, de identificación con los descartados, y de misión en las periferias.

Cada comunidad visitada por el Santo Padre preparó el altar donde se celebraba la Misa, y en cada lugar dominaba siempre la imagen del Crucificado sobre la silla presidencial del Papa, y una imagen de la Virgen a un lado. La Virgen y el Cristo crucificado: estas son las dos imágenes que contienen todo el Evangelio. Nos hablan de una ternura y una esperanza que baja del cielo para levantar el espíritu de los decaídos y capacitarlos para una misión de esperanza

Rostro humilde, dador de esperanza: La Virgen prepara el camino de Cristo. Dios tiene rostro de humilde porque María aceptó darle lo mejor de lo nuestro. La  Majestad se hizo pequeño en el seno de la Virgen. Esta verdad de la fe nos da esperanza. Por medio de este misterio de amor humilde, Dios nos habla hoy en día. El Señor apela desde la Cruz, con humildad, sin ningún poder mas que el de su rostro humilde.

Dios nos puede conquistar, es decir, salvar y transformar, porque se hizo nuestro hermano. Tomó nuestra condición de debilidad para animarnos con su cercanía. Desde la Cruz nos pregunta: "Acaso no estoy yo aquí, yo que tengo el honor de ser tu hermano?"

Con su mirada nos anima a tomar sobre nuestros hombros cansados el destino de un mundo nuevo. ¿Con qué fuerza puede el Señor convencernos de aceptar la misión? Sólo con la promesa de que no seríamos abandonados en la tarea: "¿Acaso no estoy yo aquí, yo que tengo el honor de ser tu hermano?

De esta manera sabemos que el amor conquista. Amemos, pues, al Dios que aceptó hacerse hermano. Amémoslo en la Cruz, amémoslo en cada persona sufriente. El amor conquista. Que seamos, entonces, conquistados. Y que seamos misioneros de un mundo renovado por el amor misericordioso de Dios. Amen.

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The Tenderness of God Conquers

"Above all, «la Virgen Morenita» teaches us that the only power capable of conquering the hearts of men and women is the tenderness of God. That which delights and attracts, that which humbles and overcomes, that which opens and unleashes, is not the power of instruments or the harshness of the law, but rather the omnipotent weakness of divine love, which is the irresistible force of its gentleness and the irrevocable pledge of its mercy.”

These words, spoken by Pope Francis at the start of his pastoral pilgrimage in Mexico, help to frame and better understand the evangelical message that the Holy Father wanted to share.

The grace that the Lord granted me to be able to participate in the Pope’s journey has left an impression on my soul far beyond words. Nevertheless, with the help of that same grace from the Lord, I will try to share a little of what I have received since it is an essential part of the Christian life to understand that a grace given to one is for the benefit of all.

The Pope celebrated Mass at the Basílica de Guadalupe and reminded us that the visit of the Virgin in Tepeyac "on that early morning in December 1531," awakened Juan Diego’s hope, and through him, the hope of an entire people. Grace comes from heaven, it has a face of humility and it gives hope. We could say that the grace of God is recognized in this world precisely because of this dynamic of coming with a face of humility, and of giving hope.

The Virgin appeared in the native dress of the indigenous people; she communicated in their language. She appears as a mother waiting to give birth to the one who is the Light of the world. She identified herself with the suffering people, demonstrating in such a way the immense dignity of those who were considered to be of little value. She showed herselfnot with weapons and great words, but as wanting to comfort and then encourage.

The Virgen asked Juan Diego to be a messenger of thattenderness that conquers the human heart. Even though Juan lamented his lack of capacity to fulfill such a mission, she, with her gaze encouraged him to take on his tired shoulders the destiny of a new world. With what strength was the Virgin able to convince this little one to accept this mission? Only with the promise that he would not be abandoned in the task: “Yet am I not here with you, who have the honor to be your mother?” The grace of knowing one is accompanied by a tireless love overcomes any doubt and every obstacle.

The proclamation of the Gospel always follows this pattern of an unexpected visit, of an identification with the downtrodden, and of a mission to the fringes of society.

Every community the Holy Father visited prepared the altar where Mass was to be celebrated, and in each place the image of the crucified Christ dominated right above the papal chair, with an image of the Virgin to one side. The Virgin and the crucified Christ: these are the two images that contain the entire Gospel. They speak to us of a tenderness and a hope that comes down from heaven to raise the sprits of the downhearted and prepare them for a mission of hope.

A face of humility, a giver of hope: The Virgin prepares the way of Christ. God has a face of humility because Mary agreed to give to him the best of what is ours. Majesty became little in the womb of the Virgin. This truth of faith gives us hope. Through this mystery of humble love, God speaks to us today. The Lord appeals to us from the Cross, with humility, without any power except that of his humble visage.

God can conquer us, that is to say, save and transform us, because he became our brother. He took our condition of weakness to encourage us with his closeness. From the Cross he asks us: "Yet am I not here with you, who have the honor of being your brother?" 

With his gaze he encourages us to take on our tired shoulders the destiny of a new world. With what strength can the Lord convince us to accept the mission? Only with the promise that we will not be abandoned in the task: "Yet am I not here with you, who have the honor to be your brother?"

In this way we know that love can conquer. Let us then love the God who accepted to become our brother. Let us love him in the Cross, let us love him in each suffering person. Love conquers. Let us then be conquered. And may we be missionaries of a world renewed by merciful love of God. Amen.

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Saint Philip of Jesus

Did by grace you imagine

When for Mexico you set

That a bishop would be lacking

But a bride would find you yet?

That wind and sea advancing

Would by Love's design enhancing

Make the East your best well met?

No gale has yet existed

That grace has not resisted

By the beloved's longed for sight.

Japan your new embrace

On which your young groom's face

Saw signed a great white Cross. 

You did not reach to be a priest,

For no bishop was at that East,

But still you said a consecration

And after made Communion ministration

When at the nuptial altar station

you took your appointed place.

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San Felipe de Jesús

Jamás imaginaste 

cuando a México intentaste 

A un obispo encontrar,

Que el viento se levantase

Y el Pastor te invitase

A Japón sin regresar.

Tempestad no existe 

que la gracia no tranquilice 

con la patria recordar.

Japón recibiste

Y con lágrimas te dirigiste

A la blanca Cruz señal.

Ser sacerdote no alcanzaste

Pero el Santo Nombre dijiste

Y el pueblo sí nutriste

Cuando te dieron tu altar.

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Lent and Easter: Seasons of Mercy

 “God waits; he waits for us to concede him only the smallest glimmer of space so that he can enact his forgiveness and his charity within us. Only he who has been touched and caressed by the tenderness of his mercy really knows the Lord. For this reason I have often said that the place where my encounter with the mercy of Jesus takes place is my sin. When you feel his merciful embrace, when you let yourself be embraced, when you are moved—that’s when life can change, because that’s when we try to respond to the immense and unexpected gift of grace, a gift that is so overabundant it may even seem “unfair” in our eyes. We stand before a God who knows our sins, our betrayals, our denials, our wretchedness. And yet he is there waiting for us, ready to give himself completely to us, to lift us up.”

Pope Francis,  “The Name of God is Mercy”, Ch. 3

As we anticipate the grace which the Lord Jesus always offers us during the weeks of Lent, and trusting in the new life which the Lord freely pours out during the weeks of Easter, I invite all Catholics to live this great cycle of divine love with special devotion this year. We are living in the Holy Year of Mercy. The Lord God desires a Church renewed in the experience of mercy received and shared. The Holy Father has given voice to this great longing of the Lord, inviting us to provoke a great revolution of tenderness in the world today.

This revolution becomes a reality in every soul if first we draw near to the Lord to seek his grace and pardon. In the words cited at the beginning of this letter, Pope Francis says that only one who had been touched by the tenderness of the Lord really knows Him. The meaning here is quite practical. The seasons of Lent and Easter invite us to examine our consciences and our reality under the light of his mercy. The Lord lived his Passion, he died and rose on the third day to free us from sin. Let us go, then, to seek an encounter with him in the sacrament of confession. The priest is consecrated to be an instrument of this encounter. I have asked all the priests to facilitate this encounter by offering more occasions during the week so that the faithful can go to confession and live the freeing experience of pardon and mercy.

I also invite all of our parishes to focus attention on the practice of mercy by means of concrete works. The Lord who gives us his tenderness desires that we dedicate ourselves more conscientiously to being instruments of mercy with our neighbors in need. I would like to see every parish adopt one spiritual work of mercy and one corporal work of mercy as works prominently emphasized in the community. To pray for the living and the dead, to console the sorrowing, to counsel the troubled, these are works which the Lord desires to inspire within us. To give food to one who is hungry, to give covering to one who is cold, to visit one who is imprisoned, these are the works which communicate the presence of the Risen Christ in the world today.

Also, I would like to encourage all the faithful to seek occasions to invite their neighbors who have drifted from the Church to seek the merciful face of Christ during these days of mercy. Many people tell me that they do not go to Mass because for one reason or another they cannot go to holy Communion. But this ought not impede an encounter with the Lord. St. Mark tells us in his Gospel that the people hastened to find where the Lord was staying simply to be close to him (see Mk 1, 32-45). We can be sure that if someone makes the effort simply to draw near to the Lord, to see him raised up in the host during the Mass, that the Lord will not fail to bless that person with his kindness. Let us recall what the Holy Father says: The Lord “waits for us to concede him only the smallest glimmer of space so that he can enact his forgiveness and his charity within us.” In the mystery of mercy, sometimes it is the trembling soul kneeling in the last pew who, because of humility and sincere sorrow, leaves the Church closer to the Lord than the one who always sits in the front pew (see Lk 18,13f). Let us not judge those who do not go to Communion; let us welcome them and imitate their humility in seeking the Lord of Mercy.

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