Sunday, March 16, 2008 Lagura: Heinous crime, ordinary people By Fr. Flor Lagura, SVD in the service of the word
AS they sat before the grim-faced Agrava Commission, the soldiers accused of the 1983 Ninoy Aquino-Rolly Galman double-murder case seemed pitifully lost. Moreover, they looked like ordinary people seated-sweaty and a bit frightened-huddled close to one another in a hot and decrepit provincial bus. They appeared to be no vile criminals but ordinary men presumably dedicated to and loved by their respective spouses and by their own children. We wonder what exactly led them to commit such horrible crime.
As we look into the people involved in the passion of our Lord we note that they, too, were men and women who were remarkably ordinary. First, there was the crowd who had cheered Jesus as he solemnly but peacefully entered Jerusalem.
Five days later, they-seeing that everybody else was lusting for the death of Jesus--would emotionally shout for his blood. Next, were the soldiers who could claim that they were simply following orders. Blind obedience robbed them of personal responsibility and deadened their consciences.
Thirdly, there were the Pharisees: men who spent their lives studying and following the precepts of their religion as strictly as possible. Their self-righteousness blinded them to what is good and just. Later on in history we see Saul-the scourge of early Christianity-the Crusades, the Inquisition, the death squads, and the torturers of those whom they labeled as “enemies of the State.”
Fourthly, there was the illegitimate high-priest, Caiaphas, who was extra zealous for “religious orthodoxy” condemning those who did not fit into their own religious mind-set. Over the centuries heretics were burned by leaders of the Church allegedly to defend the truth and God, as if God and the truth needed such human sacrifices.
Fifthly, there was Pontius Pilate, a Roman official whose overriding concern was the preservation of order, but in his heart, his whole aim was to preserve his hold on his position. Thus, justice was sadly sacrificed. Sixthly, we see Peter: true to his blowing hot and cold, the first pope showed a yellow streak as he shamefully denied the Lord before a woman-servant.
However, Peter showed remorse, repented and-with faith renewed-vowed once again to love Christ and follow him till death. Unlike Peter, Judas Iscariot, although showing deep remorse at having betrayed an innocent man, refused the grace of repentance as he hanged himself.
At the center of this sad chapter in our Lord’s life is Jesus himself. He, as the innocent Lamb of God, points to us that the only way to overcome evil is by doing good even if it means shedding his own blood. With the fallen nature that we all share, evil lurks in our hearts, we Filipinos and other peoples for that matter have to wrestle with the demons in our lives. The Lord in his Passion shows us the way to conquer evil in order that justice, love, peace and joy from above will reign in our midst.
“The centurion and his men who were keeping watch over Jesus were terror-stricken at seeing the earthquake and all that was happening, and said, “Clearly this was the Son of God!” Matthew 27: 54
