Sunday, April 27, 2008 Lagura: And I shall not leave you orphans By Fr. Flor Lagura, SVD in the service of the word
THE long “paseos” seminarians used to take on Sunday afternoons were not exactly a “walk in the park.” Dressed in black “americanas” with matching white pants and having to file in pairs made them the object of people’s curious stare. Moreover, boys their age subjected them to taunts and endless ridicule.
One welcome sight, however, was the freshly painted and perpetually neat Asilo de la Medalla Milagrosa religiously maintained by the Daughters of Charity: nuns dedicated to the care of young orphans. Like the nuns who took care of them and the well-kept buildings they had to call home, those young children looked nearly always prim and proper.
Yet, their young faces, but more so their pleading eyes revealed that something was sorely missing in their lives. The pain of being abandoned by their parents or left behind when one or even both parents died scarred their young souls.
The disciples of Jesus, mature as they were, also dreaded the prospect of being abandoned by their Lord and Master. For this reason, while they supped for the last time breaking bread together and partaking from the same cup, their enjoyment got cut short. They must have choked when Jesus told them that he would soon go away. The child in each one of them longed to hold on to him, begging him to stay.
Jesus, however, in his wisdom and love foresaw what he had to do. First of all, he invited them to go beyond the realm of sentiments and rise to the level of commitment when he invited them to prove their love for him. Since the Lord took the initiative of loving them, the corresponding action would be for them to love him in return. They should do so not with mere words which can be cheap but by actions, that is, by obeying his commandments. Obedience should be the hall-mark of those who have gratefully accepted and acknowledged the love of the Lord for them. Moreover, in his wisdom and love the Lord gave the firm assurance of sending to his disciples the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Love, with his 7-fold gifts.
In our most trying moments, when we feel that we are abandoned, we actually are never alone. This was the case of St. Theresa of Avila who, one day, was severely tempted by the devil. When the worst of the temptation was over, the holy nun spoke to Jesus complaining, “Lord, where were you when I was so sorely tempted.” Jesus calmly replied, “Theresa, when you were tossed to and fro by the evil one, I was gently resting in your heart!”
Jesus assures us that in and through the Spirit of Love, through thick and thin, in good times and in bad, he will be present in our midst. We shall never be abandoned as orphans. He will be with us till the end of this world.
