From something old to something new

Today, the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace celebrates Solidarity Sunday.  In many parts of Canada, this is the day on which the annual Share Lent collection is taken, and we are invited to focus our attention on the call for all of God's people to be in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who so often find themselves on the fringes of society.  Motivated by the gospel account of the woman who was caught in the act of adultery, here are some thoughts which I shared with those who came to pray with us.

What was … and what can be

All three of the scripture readings we have heard today portray moments of new beginnings: in each case there is a lived history which has come before, and there is the promise of something new that is yet to come.  The prophet Isaiah recalls the harrowing experience of escaping from the clutches of Pharaoh’s armies and the promise of a new beginning in the promised land (cf Is 43:16-21); John’s gospel describes a moment when Jesus found himself being forced into a dangerous corner – if he denied the Law of Moses, which called for the stoning of a woman caught in the act of adultery, he would be branded as a bad Jew and probably exiled by their leaders; but if he agreed, this child of God would die a painful and humiliating death – yet he managed to find an ingenious solution that respected the Law of Moses while also leaving room for a new beginning of hope (Jn 8:1-11); and Saint Paul’s words are a heartfelt testimony to a life that had once been characterized by judgment, but which had been radically changed as he discovered the futility of his own actions, for he had finally truly understood that something new was happening, something wonderful, something that was far beyond his wildest imaginings, far beyond any human limitation (cf Phil 3:8-14).

Not only did Jesus speak about changes that were taking place, he called for those who were witnessing them not to stand in the way, but rather to be courageous enough to recognize them and to participate in the changes, first by changing their perceptions of themselves - recognizing the Father's mercy - and then by changing their understanding of the world around them - practicing mercy for the sake of others … and he also showed them the way by practicing what he preached.  It’s not enough to speak about the need for change; if we truly believe that what we are doing is right, then we must be willing to live the life we are promoting.

In May of 2007, the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAM) held a pivotal meeting in the city of Aparecida, not far from Sao Paolo (Brazil).  At that meeting, the bishops defined a new vision for the way that the Church needed to be present to people.  They recognized that it was no longer enough to merely speak words about justice and mercy, but that these words needed more than ever before to be reinforced with concrete actions.  That meeting was presided over by the then Cardinal Archbishop of Buenos Aires.  When Jorge Bergoglio became Pope Francis, he brought the vision that was defined at Aparecida with him to Rome, and we have been living it ever since.

Pope Francis has not only been speaking the words of the gospel, he has been demonstrating the change that these words bring about in a way that few others before him have done, and this inspires others to do the same.  During his recent journey to Mexico, he visited the city of Juárez, not far from the border that separates that nation from its northern neighbour.  This is a part of the world that is well known for disputes, and yet this was the very place where Pope Francis chose to address business leaders, repeating a message which he has spoken in other parts of the world, exhorting them to change their ways: to turn away from their insistence on corporate profit at all costs and rather to focus on what have become known as the three Ts – tierra, techo y trabajo – land, shelter and work for all people.  The images he evokes are powerful, the truths he speaks are universal, but they are also a call to change our ways, to recognize the history that has led us to our present situations, the injustices that are still being perpetrated, the call of the gospel to change our ways, and the promise of something new that is being prepared and set before us.

Let us not allow this message to fall on deaf ears.   Lent is a time for conversion, for turning away from dangerous and even sinful habits and practices that have become so entrenched that we barely recognize them.  Lent is a time or recognizing new possibilities – the hope that Jesus constantly offers to each one of us: the hope of new life, the hope that is the fruit of his mercy, the hope that resounds in his words: Neither do I condemn you; now go, and sin no more (Jn 8:11).