杏MAP导航

By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp

鈥淩ejoice鈥� is the first word spoken by the Risen Lord. He used it to greet 鈥淢ary Magdalene and the other Mary after they had discovered that the tomb was empty鈥�. He is the Risen One and wants to raise these women to new life, and with them, all of humanity鈥�.

Thus 杏MAP导航 Francis begins a reflection on the connection between Jesus鈥檚 Resurrection and the current crisis into which we all have been plunged. The reflection appeared on Friday on the website of the Spanish-language periodical Vida Nueva.

Joy now?

Inviting the disciples going to Emmaus to rejoice would have been provoking, 杏MAP导航 Francis continues. Our experience today, he reflects, is much like that of the first disciples. We, like them, 鈥渓ive surrounded by an atmosphere of pain and uncertainty鈥︹�� and are asking 鈥淲ho will roll away the stone?" (Mk 16:3). He describes the tombstone as one that 鈥渢hreatens to bury all hope鈥� and enumerates the consequences so many are living: the elderly forced into complete isolation, families who can no longer put food on the table, frontliners who are 鈥渆xhausted and overwhelmed鈥�. It鈥檚 a 鈥渉eaviness鈥� he says, 鈥渢hat seems to have the last word鈥�.

Disciples bearing perfume

It鈥檚 the women who did not allow the events of Christ鈥檚 Passion to paralyze them, 杏MAP导航 Francis said. In this reflection, he picks up where he began in his homily of the Easter vigil. 鈥淥ut of love for the Master, and with their typical, irreplaceable and blessed feminine genius, they were able to confront life as it came鈥�. While the Apostles first fled, denied Him, then hid out of fear, the woman found ways to overcome every obstacle in their path. They did it by simply 鈥渂eing and accompanying鈥�.

Many today are 鈥渃arrying perfume鈥� and 鈥渂ringing the anointing鈥� of 鈥渃o-responsibility鈥�. They are ministering to the Lord in their brothers and sisters. Some do this by not being a risk to others, others put their lives at risk. 鈥淒octors, nurses, people stocking supermarket shelves, cleaners, caretakers, people who transport goods, public safety officials, volunteers, priests, women religious, grandparents, educations, and many others鈥� have asked the same question the women asked: 鈥淲ho will roll away the stone?鈥� Yet, the 杏MAP导航 acknowledges, this has not keep them from 鈥渄oing what they felt they could and were obliged to do鈥�.

The Lord precedes us

The joy that the disciples discovered was in Jesus that the vigil they had kept for the Lord, 鈥渆ven in death and their greatest despair, had not been in vain鈥�. Instead, it allowed them to be 鈥渁nointed by the Resurrection: they were not alone. He was alive and preceded them on their journey鈥�. This is the news that was capable of 鈥渂reaking the cycle that kept them from seeing that the stone had already been rolled away鈥�. That joy is our joy too.

Many are participating in the Lord鈥檚 passion, either personally or at the side of their brothers and sisters. There, 鈥渙ur ears will hear the newness of the Resurrection: we are not alone, the Lord precedes us on our journey and removes the stones that paralyze us鈥�. No one can rob us of this hope. It cannot become infected. 鈥淎ll the life of service and love that you are giving at this time will beat once again.鈥� The Lord only needs a 鈥渃rack鈥� where His anointing can enter which will 鈥渁llow us to contemplate this painful reality with a renewed outlook鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 says.

The next step is to retrace our steps, just as the women in the Gospel did. That action is a symbol of lives transformed by the Easter proclamation, 杏MAP导航 Francis explains. It鈥檚 living with the realization that the Lord regenerates hope by constantly doing something new. A renewed outlook is one that sees how this 鈥渟omething new鈥� is 鈥渁lready springing up鈥� (see Is 43:18).

No one is saved alone

The community of disciples discovered something that we are now discovering, the 杏MAP导航 continues: 鈥渘o one is saved alone.鈥� Borders and walls are crumbling. 鈥淔undamentalist discourse is dissolving before an almost imperceptible presence that manifests the fragility of which we are made鈥�, he says. Easter invites us to renounce anything that impedes new life from flourishing. The time is ripe for a 鈥渘ew imagination鈥� allowing the 鈥渂reath of the Spirit鈥� to open new horizons before us. We urgently need to 鈥渄iscern and discover the Holy Spirit鈥檚 pulse鈥� leading us to collaborate together to 鈥渃hannel the new life the Lord wants to generate in this concrete moment of history鈥�, he notes. Only the Gospel and openness to the Spirit can inspire us with the 鈥渘ew imagination鈥� necessary at this time. The Spirit calls us to work with Him. God鈥檚 Spirit neither allows Himself to be 鈥渃losed or exploited by fixed or outdated methods鈥�. Rather, the Spirit proposes that 鈥渨e join His movement, capable of 鈥榤aking all things new鈥欌�� (Rev 21:5).

Antibodies of solidarity

Quoting , by the Pontifical Academy for Life, 杏MAP导航 Francis emphasizes that this pandemic needs to be treated with the 鈥渁ntibodies of solidarity鈥�. 鈥淓ach individual action鈥�, he underlines, 鈥渋s not an isolated one.鈥� 鈥淔or better or for worse鈥� all of our actions affect others. Each person is a 鈥減rotagonist鈥� of history and can respond to the evils affecting millions world-wide. 鈥淚t is not permissible that we write current and future history by turning our backs on the suffering of so many people鈥�, he says.

To act as one

The challenge, 杏MAP导航 Francis points out is to 鈥渁ct as one people鈥�to have a real impact鈥�. This applies to the current epidemic and 鈥渙ther epidemics that beset us鈥�. What are these other 鈥渆pidemics鈥�? Hunger, war, poverty, environmental devastation, the globalization of indifference. The wish the 杏MAP导航 expresses on concluding his reflection is that society might find 鈥渢he necessary antibodies of justice, charity and solidarity. Let us not be afraid to live the alternative civilization of love鈥�. It is a 鈥渃ivilization of hope鈥�, he says confounding 鈥渁nxiety and fear, sadness and fatigue鈥�. This civilization, he explains, needs to be built daily, 鈥渦ninterruptedly鈥� and requires everyone鈥檚 commitment, a 鈥渃ommitted community of brothers and sisters鈥�.