Palm Sunday, 14th April 2019

Dear Friends, Family and Sisters,

On this Palm Sunday that opens Holy Week, let us allow ourselves to be penetrated by this mystery of the love of God who gave himself for us. Jesus, who is love and tenderness, is arrested and sentenced to death. With his whole being, he seems to threaten those who hold power. These abuses of power continue today. So many innocent, weak and unprotected people, children, the elderly, minorities, women, people with disabilities, are mistreated, abused ... But power will not have the last word ... Jesus, the Lamb crushed by an insolent power gave his life to give life ... 'Entering the mystery of Jesus, a reading of the Gospel of John' – Jean Vanier.
 

Contemplating the one who has given his life for each of one us, sheds light on all the stages and situations of our lives and those of our brothers and sisters in humanity.

My life, no one takes it away, it's me who gives it ... John 10:1

It is neither suffering nor the cross that saves ... it is love. To show his total love for us, Jesus had to go to the cross because of the refusal of the heart of man. It is in his fidelity to the Father's will and fellowship with him that he found strength when he was rejected, abandoned, killed ... Even though he was cornered by the wickedness of men, his life was not taken away, he gave himself in love.

All life and all true love are plagued by trials, sufferings ... In the depths of these moments, we are called not to let ourselves lose our life, but to give it in love.

Suffering a necessary and transitory passage Pope Francis

During the prayer of the Angelus, on the second Sunday of Lent, Pope Francis said: The transfiguration of Christ is accomplished at a very precise moment of his mission, that is to say, after he has confided to the disciples that He must 'suffer a lot' ... In this way, the transfiguration shows the Christian perspective of suffering. This is not 'masochism', but a necessary and transitory passage. In showing his glory, Jesus assures us that the cross, the trials, the difficulties, with which we are struggling, are solved and are overcome by his Passover.

He is alive, He calls us by our name and he sends us out

Near the empty tomb, Jesus calls Mary Magdalene by name and says: 'Do not hold on to me... But go find my brothers ...' She is called to enter into a new relationship with Jesus, a more intimate relationship. She becomes the apostle of the apostles, in order to announce that she has seen the Lord and he is calling us to be his brothers and sisters.

Through Mary Magdalene and the other women who came to the tomb, the angel addresses the Church throughout all the ages, which the Spirit never stops sending on mission.

I am with you always. Matthew 28 :20

The Risen One joins us where we are, just as he did with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, in our doubts and our questions, in our joys and our sorrows, in our moments of hope and despair, in our limitations and our weaknesses. The presence of the Risen One brings an inner presence, a source of life and light.

The Risen Jesus also joins his Church, our Church, which has been shaken in these times of turmoil when so many scandals have been coming to light. He joins us in the heart of this suffering of purification through which we must pass in order for the truth to come to light.

In each of us there are the seeds of Judas who sought power and hated love; the seeds of Peter who was unable to accept a weak Messiah, the seeds of some religious leaders who were so attached to the letter of the law that they were unable to accept the newness of the Spirit, the seeds of Pilate, who feared conflict and the denunciation to the Roman authorities; we are all capable of hurting the weak and the innocent who bother us. But in each of us there are also the seeds of the beloved disciple, inviting us to love.  'Entering the mystery of Jesus, a reading of the Gospel of John'. Jean Vanier

At this time of Easter, more than ever, let us enable the Risen One to join us, so that we may hear him call us by our name. Let us take care of the seeds of the beloved disciple in us, which are inviting us to love.

Jesus, you are our companion on the journey, the light for our steps;

You are always by our side, by your presence and in your apparent absence,

You desire to rise from within our hearts to bring the Good News to the world;

You, the Risen Lord, you send us out to our brothers and sisters…

in the ways of Providence.

Happy Easter to each of you, in the joy of the Risen Christ.

Sister Josette BIJLOOS