Fr. Roy Cimagala
MANY precious insights and lessons can be derived if we enter into the spirit of the Holy Week. Let us thank God for all of them and strengthen our resolve to go through the Holy Week keeping our faith and piety as vibrant as possible. That way, we can predispose ourselves to continually discern these insights and lessons, refining, polishing and deepening them as we go along.
Among these precious insights and lessons is the idea of human and Christian perfection which, I believe, is patently shown by Christ as we liturgically celebrate his Passion, Death and Resurrection.
For many of us, our usual understanding of what is perfect and complete is when we manage to pass a certain test, conquer a certain battle, win in a certain contest, all measured in human terms.
That is to say, that the victory and conquest is measured in terms of points scored, wealth earned, popularity gained, or in terms of mere physical and mechanical perfection.
Those standards of perfection and completion obviously have their proper value and place in the sun, but they definitely are still far from what is ideal to us as persons and as children of God.
They are far too exclusive, not inclusive, and are unable to find value in suffering, and reason and meaning in the many human imperfections and natural limitations that we all have.
It’s an understanding of perfection that is not realistic, given our wounded human nature and damaged condition. It fails to consider many other things that are unavoidable in our earthly life.
In this Holy Week, from Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey, to his death on the cross and resurrection, what we see is Christ’s determination to perfect and complete his redemptive work by obeying the will of his Father, no matter what it costs.
Our idea of human and Christian perfection has to conform to that model shown to us by Christ. It can be very strict and demanding insofar as the human and natural standards are concerned, but all of that should not in any way undermine the charity and mercy that has to be extended to everyone no matter how they are.
We have to realize that our human and Christian perfection is achieved to the extent that we follow Christ all the way to the cross so that we too can share in his resurrection. It is a perfection that will always involve suffering, that is, the cross of Christ that paved the way to his resurrection.
What the Holy Week teaches us is to train ourselves to suffer with Christ, to take up the cross of Christ without fear. We should be reassured of the victory that can be the consequence of this attitude, banking also on the reassurance that was once expressed by St. Paul: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Cor 10,13)
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There’s a beautiful passage in the gospel that we should try our best to appreciate and live by. It’s actually a citation from the Book of Isaiah (42,3) that is quoted also in the gospel of St. Matthew (12,20).
It’s a passage that evokes the tenderness of God toward us, a tenderness that we should also try to have in our relation with others, especially those suffering misfortune of any kind. It gives us the bigger picture of what is involved in the relation between charity and justice.
The passage is this: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory.”
We need to meditate on this passage, and try to fathom the wisdom behind it, because most likely we may have to revise, even drastically, or at least deepen some more our understanding of the link between charity and justice. We cannot deny that many times, we are lost or at least confused in knowing how to relate justice with charity.
In this passage which refers to the actuation of Christ, we are practically reminded that we have to be most tender, understanding, compassionate and merciful to those who may be disadvantaged because of their own misdeeds.
This was the example of Christ himself who, in the face of the greatest injustice inflicted on him by man, continued to be tender and nice with his offenders. St. Peter described this point very well when he said:
“When they hurled their insults at him (Christ), he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him (God the Father) who judges justly.” (1 Pt 2,23)
We might ask questions like: Why did Christ behave that way? Why should his behavior be a pattern to ours? How can justice be served if we are mocked, insulted and gravely offended?
I believe the answer can simply be this: We are all children of God, objects of his love. Whatever mistakes or sins we commit cannot erase the fact that we are all children of God and, as such, are objects of his everlasting love.
God’s attitude toward us can be likened to that of good parents who may give some punishment to their erring children but will never let go of their love. And whatever punishment is given is done in such a way that it does not break the inherent dignity of the children. If at all, the punishment is meant to help the children to reform.
Somehow, St. Paul expresses this sentiment when he said: “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord.” (Rom 12,19)
The underlying reason for this kind of attitude and behavior is that the fullness of justice is when we accord each one what ultimately is due to him, and that is, charity, which is the very reason for our existence, our raison d’etre.
Charity is the fullness of justice! For as St. John Paul II said: “Justice is based on love, flows from it and tends towards it.”
E-mail:roycimagala@gmail.com
