2011-Palm Sunday:

After the Long reading of the Passion, one can be overwhelmed by the enormity of the suffering, the awesome greatness of God’s love and mercy and compassion. Uttering words would just bounce of a mind trying to soak in what we have just heard. So I will not comment on the Passion and Death, but narrate three small stories of how the Passion and Death of Jesus continues in our life time.

The first: On the 11^th March, and earthquake and tsunami hit Japan. People were stunned at the loss of lives, fascinated at the sight of houses and cars being washed away. The fear overtook us as we heard about the danger due to the damage of the four nuclear reactors.  The Archbishop of Tokyo and the Bishop of Sendai (the epicentre of the reactors) asked for help. A young Jesuit who was just ordained volunteered to go and serve the people in Sendai the very heart of the radio active area. He does not want to be a martyr, he just knows that the Love of God must be seen in Sendai as anywhere else. So he goes!

The second story: Exactly a month later: 11^th of April. President Laurent Gbagbo is toppled. Elected President Ouattara took charge. The Ivory Coast has three major regions – the North the region of President Ouattara, the Middle region where former President Bedie held sway, and the mainly Catholic South, the region of former President Laurent Gbagbo.

This last Thursday, the forces now in power raided various Catholic Institutions to the Victor goes the spoils. They surrounded our Jesuit Catholic Institute. The only thing that saved the staff from being massacred was the fact that one of the security guards happened to speak Malinke, the language of the North. This house belongs to the Praying People he said. The soldiers left the area. It meant the house of the white people or foreigners. The Jesuit priest, Fr. KANZIAMA says, we expect at any moment that they will return and take away anything they can lay their hands on: chairs, tables, beds, computers, cameras.

I remembered the scene in Mark’s Gospel after they seized Jesus, they came across a man covered only with a sheet. As they tried to seize him, they caught his covering but he escaped and ran away naked. The Passion of Jesus Christ continues.

The third story: I thirst said Jesus on the Cross. Africa which is known for the spectacular Nile and the wonderful Victoria Falls is also known for vast areas where there is no water Chad, Sudan, Eritrea to mention a few off hand. We drink water which is the main asset of Canada. Not Hockey! Even though we feel that way. The Italian Jesuits have been working to make sure that this scourge: I thirst should not be heard again. Burkina Faso, Chad and DRCongo now have the benefit of 4 million cubic meters of Water .  However there are so many that still suffer because they do not have water. Millions of people can survive if they do not have cell-phones, but not one can survive without Water. The Passion and Death of Jesus continues as long as one dying child, one dying person says: I thirst.