These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. (Jn 12:1-3)
I remember the dedication of the new altar at Our Lady of Fatima Chapel in Winston-Salem when it belonged to Saint Benedict the Moor Parish. The bishop dumped the whole container of the Oil of Chrism on the surface of the altar and began to rub it in to the wood of the altar. Everyone was astounded at the extravagance of the gesture as the fragrance of the Chrism filled the whole Chapel.
Christ became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name. (Phil 2:8-9)
He became one with us . . . even sharing a shameful death. I remember sitting in the witness chair during jury duty answering the judge’s questions. And one of the questions was if I would support the death penalty. My answer, “No, your honor, because that’s what they did to my Lord.”
R. The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock. Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, proclaim it on distant isles, and say: He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together, he guards them as a shepherd his flock. R. The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock. (Jer 31)
Pope Francis has used the scriptural image of the shepherd and the sheep to speak about the church’s ministers. As he says, the shepherd should smell of the flock. Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me . . . and I will lay down my life for the sheep” (Jn 10:14-15).
R. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice. In my distress I called upon the LORD and cried out to my God; From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. R. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice. (Psalm 18)
At times we think that no one is listening, that no one cares. But the Scriptures tell us that our cries for help do indeed reach God’s ears.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever. He remembers forever his covenant which he made binding for a thousand generations – Which he entered into with Abraham and by his oath to Isaac. R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever. (Psalm 105)
The Lord remembers . . . covenant, land, promise, people. But we humans tend to forget. As the old grandpa used to say, “When we stop remembering . . . we forget.” That God remembers us and never forgets is our hope.
