Gospel Perspective

"They Shall Look on Him Whom They Have Pierced"

John 19,37—The Passion—Good Friday

Pope Benedict XVI chose this verse for his Lenten Message this year, highlighting God’s love which is both selfless in self-giving to us (agape) and yet passionately “in love” with us (eros). To look upon the crucified Son of God is to appreciate this infinite, unconditional and unearned love.

Looking upon Him who was pierced by the lance, the nails, the thorns, the scourges, as well as the insults and hatred behind all this violence, is also an exercise in understanding the human condition that we all share as sinners, willing and able to do evil. In the broken, battered and violated body of Christ the world’s sad reality is graphically displayed. If we can discover in the Cross the passionate yet selfless love of God, we shall also reveal the conspiratorial hatred within our fallen humanity. Their juxtaposition should provoke our reaction, one of “shock and awe”!

His naked body lowered from the Cross, strips us of all naivté before the reality of evil. And yet his utterly innocent donation clothes us with the transcendent triumph of divine truth.

To look upon Him who was pierced, is also to see His wounds transformed by the resurrection. The focus of His suffering becomes the fountain of our healing. “They shall look upon Him whom they have pierced” and “proclaim the greatness of the Lord”!

Bolivia Lately

   Brought on, they say, by the “El Niño” ocean current, the rains began the day after Christmas. It rained 29 days in January and most of February as well. The Rio Grande, which flows about 60 miles east of Santa Cruz began to overflow its banks on January 17th, the situation grave enough then already to call for special collections to help those whose homes washed away. Since then the problem has worsened considerably and moved downstream. Whole communities have been evacuated, and the possible evacuation of the entire city of Trinidad (population 150,000—photo), capitol of the Beni Department, was briefly considered; 20,000 have been evacuated from the outlining areas. Many roads and bridges have been wrecked by floods and avalanches and the mosquitoes have multiplied along with the diseases they transmit. 34 people have lost their lives, as well as about a million head of cattle, and thousands of hectares of cropland, affecting food prices.

Recovery will take a long time. There has been a generous national and international response, but much more is needed. The Church’s help has been used mostly for medicine and basic food supplies. Our parish has contributed about 10 percent of the $10,000 collected so far in the Archdiocese of Santa Cruz.