I SUNDAY OF LENT: Genesis 9:8-15

The flood: A story of punishment and salvation

The story of Noah about the flood that engulfed the hole world was the kind of tragic story which would be told time and again in the Ancient Middle East World. Similar stories were told in the lands of Mesopotamia, with a difference. In the story of Noah, there is only one God, the Almighty God; while in the stories of the neighbouring countries, there were many gods, quarrelling among themselves and always getting annoyed with human beings. In their stories, the flood was fruit of the gods’ annoyance and jealousy; while in the Bible, it is the result of human sin. 

The world was so evil that God regretted to having created it (Gen 6:5-6); in fact, it looked as if his creation was a failure, having turned against him. However, even in his anger, God cannot punish the just together with the sinner and he will find ways of carrying out his plans, even in the face of sheer rejection from human beings. 

A new beginning

The flood represents the end of the old world and the beginning of the new one. It is the beginning of a new order, in which we find a renewed commitment of God to his creation. God announces that “Never again will I curse the ground.” To Noah, he gave the same command which he had given to Adam: “God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them: “Be fertile and multiply and fill the earth” (Gen 9:1). And he made a covenant with Noah and all the creatures of the world:

And God made a covenant with Noah, a covenant that deals with the universe: “I am now establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you: the birds, the tame animals, and all the wild animals that were with you” (Gen 9:9-10). This covenant is a universal covenant, by which God commits himself to care for the Universe and for man in a special way.

Symbol of the baptism

In his first letter, Peter wrote that the flood water is a symbol of the Baptism. The flood purified the world of a corrupt and sinful generation; the water of the baptism “saves us now”. “It is not a removal of dirt from the body”, but a pledge (or appeal) to God made in communion with Jesus Christ and by his resurrection (1 Pet 3:21).

ASH WEDNESDAY - GOD’S CALL: COME BACK TO ME

Lent is a special time, in which we hear God’s call in a louder voice: “Come back to me with all your heart” (Joel 2:12).

This is a time to recognize our wickedness and to see the evil that is in us. Indeed, evil is actively present in our lives, in the society in which we live and in the world at large. Even when we try to do good, our lives are contaminated by evil. In spite of this evil influence being bigger than ourselves, our evil actions are fruit of our decisions. Recognising that, we must repent, showing sorrowfulness and changing our behaviour. 

Today is the day of salvation

We should not delay. Tomorrow is not our day; it belongs to God. For us, today is the day. That’s why Paul wrote: “this is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:2).

However, more than being a time to recognize our sin, Lent is a time to become more and more aware of God’s love and compassion. In the first reading of today’s liturgy, the prophet Joel says it clearly: “for he is all tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in graciousness, and ready to relent”. (Joel 2:13) And he is just repeating the old words in which Go revealed himself to Moses: “The LORD, the LORD, a God gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love and fidelity” (Ex 34:6).

Omba umo ombela, amenso ya bantu tayalya

Today’s gospel warns us against an attitude, which is prevalent nowadays: “Be careful not to parade your good deeds before men to attract their notice” (Mt 6:1). Many people will do the strangest things in order to be noticed, to appear and to be talked about. They need to be counted as special and important, and they try by all means to be different. However, most of the times, that puts us in a dangerous path, which will bring about very little good or none at all. We should put our trust in being counted and noticed by God, not by the public. The Bemba proverb says: Omba umo ombela, amenso ya bantu tayalya (Let they clap hand as they please; the eyes of people don’t eat).

VII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Isaiah 43:18-19,21-22,24-25

Filled with hope, look to the future

Many people live fearing the future, complaining about the present and glorifying the past. For them, the golden age is in the past. There, we find points of reference and look for guidance. The past is always considered better than the present; and the future is always looked upon with apprehension and even with fear. We make heroes of the people who lived in the past: they were stronger and wiser than we are; they were law abiding, honourable and respectful, while we misbehave and disobey all laws, considering them oppressive and unworthy keeping.

However, our ancestors were not better than we are; in fact, we are of the same kind as they were, and we walk in the same earthly ways that they followed. Surely, we can learn a lot from the past; it helps to recognise us for what we are. Knowing the past helps to understand the present and to prepare the future. But we must look to the future. The golden age – the age o peace, justice and rejoicing – is in the future, and we are moving towards it. That golden age will not be brought about by our cleverness and our enthusiasm; instead, it will be God’s gift, coming out of his mercy, compassion and love for his people.

This is a message that can find throughout the Bible, and the passage from Isaiah that is read on this Sunday’s liturgy proclaims it very clearly:

“No need to recall the past,

no need to think about what was done before.

See, I am doing a new deed,

even now it comes to light; can you not see it?” (Is 43:18-19)

VI SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Leviticus 13:1-2,44-46

leper's hands

The stigma in the past and today

By today’s standards, the Leviticus rulings about leprosy are harsh and discriminatory. However, not so long ago, similar practices could be found all over the world. Leprosy is a contagious disease for which there was no cure. The only protection available was to isolate those infected; and that isolation was exclusion, transforming the lepers into outcasts. They were considered unclean; and because of their uncleanness, they should stay away from villages and from people. The protection of the community was more important than the safeguard of individuals. At this time, a cure has been found and we know that leprosy is much less contagious than we thought, if basic measures of prevention are used.

Nowadays, dealing with the pandemic of HIV/AIDS, we speak of stigma, but that is nothing compared with what the lepers suffered. In fact, I have witnessed many families who care with kindness and love for their sick relatives.

In the case of leprosy, those infected were thrown out of the community and left to their own fate, rotting away until death felt mercy on them. With HIV/AIDS, the infected people remain among us, and most of the times lead a normal life, until the sickness takes hold of them. Behind, they leave their children, for others to take care of them. Many times, the burden falls upon the grandparents, who are themselves in need of being cared for.

Jesus allowed lepers to come close to him and, full of compassion, healed them. We may ask ourselves if we are like Jesus in the day we deal with people suffering from HIV/AIDS. Are we compassionate? Do we take care of the orphans and the widows? Do we support the grandparents who are overburdened with caring for the grand-children? Here, we means individuals, communities and government.

Maybe, we can do more and better.

V SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Job 7:1-4,6-7

The mystery of suffering and evil

The Bible is not shy or afraid of facing the big questions humanity ever asked. And the problem of evil and suffering in the world is the biggest problem we are faced with. We can understand that criminals deserve to be punished or that they may undergo suffering as a form of punishment; but why suffering comes upon the innocent? If there is a God and if he is a good, caring and loving God, why does he remain silent? If he is all powerful, why does he remain aloof, as if our suffering has nothing to do with him?

All of us ask such questions time and time again, and the answer always eludes us. May be there is no answer, or we are so small and so short of understanding that we are not able to come to grasps with this issue.

The book of Job on the problem of evil and suffering

The book of Job is centred on this same question. And Job was not afraid of asking and complaining to God.

“My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle; they come to an end without hope. Remember that my life is like the wind; my eye will not see happiness again.” “My own utterance I will not restrain; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.” (Job 7:6-7,11).

God is Yahweh, the God with us

We go on asking the same question and always remain short of answers. We are surrounded by the mystery of evil, which may lead us to complete annihilation. However, reading the Bible and encountering Jesus Christ will lead us to understand that God is not part of the problem, but part of the solution. God has revealed himself as Yahweh, or the One who is always at our side and who accompanies us in our journey of life. He is on the side of the poor and suffering to bring relief, rescue and salvation to them. Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, experienced pain and suffering in his own flesh, sharing our human condition. He obtained victory not by avoiding or running away from suffering, but by embracing the cross and giving up his life.

God’s ways are not our ways. We are always in a hurry, seeing only the suffering and pain we go through now, without any comprehension of the future. God has his own time, and he sees far and wide. When we think that he has abandoned us and forgotten about us, he is carrying us by the hand, taking us through darkness into the light. The Bemba proverb says: Where God is cooking, there is no smoke (Apatebeta Lesa, tapafuka cushi). As the time passes, we will understand that God was there with us and that he was preparing for us a time of joy and peace.