Do you ever read your Bible, Donald? A Brief Overview of How Both Testaments Favor Immigration and Condemn Racism and the Right-wing.

Do you ever read your Bible, Donald? Just a little overview of how the Bible favors immigration and condemns racism and the right-wing. The Bible is about love and understadning--not about hatred and persecution.

Let's start with when Jesus addresses the Samaritan woman and asks her for a cup of water. Back in those days, that was against the law. Jewish men were not allowed to drink from any cup that had been handled by a woman from Samaria. She was the first one to be surprised, astonished, bewildered, In asking her for water from a cup that necessarily she'd have held in her hands, Jesus was breaking the law--with a very clear, unquestionable, irrefutable message. He was condemning discrimination, racism, segregation, and inequality.

"The Samaritan woman said to him, 'You are a Jew. How is it that you ask me, a Samaritan, for something to drink?' -- Jews, of course, do not associate with Samaritans." John 4:9
That's not the only time when Jesus breaks a law for the sake of humans who were suffering--from illness as well as from injustice. I will transcribe the passage of Jesus healing a disabled woman on the Sabbath:
10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11 And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” 13 When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. 14 But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.” 15 But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?” Luke 13:10-16

It was also on a Sabbath when Jesus healed a man with dropsy. Luke 14:1-4

Yes, Jesus broke the law again as He again cured a sick human being on the Sabbath.

Therefore, when in today's society many people tend to give priority to rules and policies even when to the detriment of another person's well=being. Well, the Bible is clear. They are doing exactly the opposite of what Jesus taught us to do. Please read carefully:
Matthew 15:1-3
1 Then Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem came to Jesus and said,
2 'Why do your disciples break away from the tradition of the elders? They eat without washing their hands.'
3 He answered, 'And why do you break away from the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?'
Even from before Jesus' time, in the Old Testament we can read that God's love is much more understanding and lenient than most people would even suspect. There we can already read that "One does not condemn the hungry thief who steals to fill his stomach;
' Proverbs 6:30.

So, if God in His love even justifies the taking of a small piece of property when desperately needed for survival, can anyone allege that He condemns those who put their own lives in danger by crossing a border and entering a country without inspection as their only way to save their lives from torture and much worse forms of death, or in order to avoid starvation and give a much more promising future to their young?

The immigrants are not the problem. The big problem is posed by those who due to their right-wing fanaticism and out of hatred are irrationally against immigrants--mainly against those immigrants whose skin tone is not light white. It appears to be a good idea to give those people a reminder that Jesus Himself identified with the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the immigrant--even the naked and with those behind bars:
"For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in: [Matthew 25:35] [Latin]
[36] Naked, and you covered me: sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came to me. [37] Then shall the just answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, and fed thee; thirsty, and gave thee drink? [38] And when did we see thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and covered thee? [39] Or when did we see thee sick or in prison, and came to thee? [40] And the king answering, shall say to them: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me. " Matthew 25:35-40

Those who reach out to their fellow human beings in need, danger, or distress are the ones who are doing Jesus' work in this world. Perhaps some people might also need a wake-up call about what Jesus says concerning those who ignore, despise, or are simply insensitive to the suffering of their fellow human beings. Do I need to spell it out? They might want to keep on reading the Gospel and get to Matthew 25:41-46.

Jesus' advocacy for equality for all with no distinctions is very clear: "There is no room for distinction between Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, foreigner, slave or free, but Christ is all and in all.
" Colossians 3:11

In His public ministry, Jesus sternly condemned any discrimination against the immigrant, the foreigner, or anyone belonging to a human group that others might dare look down on. It is worldwide known how, by means of His Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus selected a fictional man from a small, belittled, discriminated against, oppressed population to become the universal example of charitable, compassionate behavior. Luke 10:25-37

All those who dislike immigrants, all those who cannot free their own hearts from the invisible yet immobilizing chains of hatred, all those who judge others not by how they act but by how they look and where they come from, please come close and listen to the message so that you can free your souls once and for all, so that you can heal yourselves from the cancer of racist and xenophobic hatred that is eating you up. Please read the Parable of the Good Samaritan and think deeply about it. Jesus is very clear. Crystal clear. Water clear. Those who were deemed to be pillars of their community didn't care. Those who held a respectable position in society were not moved to compassion by the plight of an injured fellow human being. Those who were supposed to be the ones helping others just looked at the other side. Instead, a man who was faced with discrimination and scorn from others was the one who cared, the one who was capable of greatness, the one who showed true nobility of heart. Moreover, why did Jesus come up with that Parable? Who was testing Him? A lawyer, someone who also had a prominent position in the society of his time. Nowadays, there are jokes going around how many attorneys there are. Too many--and I can say so as I am one of them. In those days, though, being a lawyer meant having a prominent position in the community. So, that lawyer was trying to be 'clever' in the bad sense of the word. He was trying to test Jesus. He asked Jesus who one's neighbor was. And Jesus gave that lawyer an answer he didn't expect. Our neighbor could be someone whom many look down on. Our neighbor could be someone facing racism day after day. Our neighbor could be someone who looked different from us. Our neighbor could be any member of humankind. Our neighbor could be someone from far away.

Jesus was equally eloquent in His defense of the foreigner and the immigrant when He shows that, out of ten lepers whom He had healed, only one shows gratitude--and that one is a foreigner, a Samaritan. Luke 17:11-19. Jesus keeps on saying it over and over and over again, loud and clear: Stop discriminating against those from Samaria!!! Now, why don't we put it in current-day terms? Jesus is saying as repeatedly and equally clearly today as He said it then--and now He says: Stop discriminating against those from so-called "sh-hole countries"!!! Stop discriminating against D.A.C.A. recipients!!! Against discriminating against those whose skin looks tanner than yours!!! They are the ones I love. They are the ones Who deserve me. They are the ones who will inherit My Kingdom. Jesus stands up for those suffering oppression and exploitation. He condemns the oppressors and exploiters. Jesus stands up for the persecuted. He condemns the persecutors. Jesus stands up for those being discriminated against. He condemns those spreading discrimination. Jesus stands up for those being bullied. He condemns the bullies.

We can see that countless times and in both the Old and New Testaments:
"If you share your food with the hungry
 and give relief to the oppressed,
 then your light will rise in the dark,
 your night will be like noon.
" Isaiah 58:10
"He gives justice to the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free.
" Psalms 146:7
"Then he sat down, called the Twelve and said to them, “If someone wants to be first, let him be last of all and servant of all.” Mark 9:35
"(. . .) and anyone who wants to be first must be slave to all." Mark 10:44
"But he gives more grace; therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."James 4:6

It is pristine clear that Jesus condemns both economic and political oppression. He condemns social injustice and abuse of power.

There cannot be any stronger, more eloquent, more passionately vibrant condemnation of social injustice than the well-known passage in James 5:1-4 about the rich landowners who withhold the wages owed to those who work their fields:
1 Well now, you rich! Lament, weep for the miseries that are coming to you.
2 Your wealth is rotting, your clothes are all moth-eaten.
3 All your gold and your silver are corroding away, and the same corrosion will be a witness against you and eat into your body. It is like a fire which you have stored up for the final days.
4 Can you hear crying out against you the wages which you kept back from the labourers mowing your fields? The cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord Sabaoth.

A reading of the Beatitudes is very eloquent in that Jesus praises those who are kind, compassionate, considerate to others, those who are peacemakers, those who suffer persecution, those who shed tears.
Matthew 5:1-12 New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)
The Beatitudes
5 When Jesus[a] saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely[b] on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

In 2Maccabees 7:1-42 we can read about the horrendous martyrdom endured by a mother and her seven sons in the hands of a brutal king who wanted to make them eat pork in violation of the Jewish laws. Although hard to read due to the extreme cruelty of the torture those seven young men and their mother were put through, Chapter 7 of 2Maccabees is a very stern condemnation of any temporal power that goes against God's will. It is the condemnation of the Third Reich that thousands of years later would similarly torture and murder anyone of Semitic descent, anyone facing physical challenges, and anyone trying to shelter and hide any of those that the nazis wanted to get rid of.
The first Christians who were thrown to the lions are also perfect examples of how atrocious and despicable political power can be. Jesus Himself was nailed to the Cross by those having temporal authority those days. His life on this soil and excruciatingly painful death are an eloquent testimony of how awfully brutal some governments can be.

The concept of civil disobedience is as old as there are brave humans ready to die in the hands of brutal governments. And it was brought to the political arena not by politicians but by missionary Jesuit priests decrying oppression.

Throughout history, the inspiring lives of countless Catholic martyrs say it all. They were canonized precisely because of having reached out to and spoken out for the poor and the oppressed against tyrannic regimes. They were canonized precisely because of having opposed governments that were cruel to the people against the will of God. Examples are endless but will mention only three. St. Lawrence was burnt alive for defying the emperor and stating real gold and silver of the Church were those whom the Church loved the most: the poor, the sick, the disabled. He did use the three days he had been given to gather gold and silver--but instead of surrendering those worldly treasures to the emperor, he'd give them away to those in need in his community. Because of Deacon Lawrence's indomitable defiance of the temporal authority, the emperor deemed that death by decapitation wouldn't be painful enough for him. Instead, he was burnt alive on a grill--and as his body was slowly roasting, he'd keep firm on his defiance of the political power to the point of even joking about the horrifying death he was enduring.

As already said, amidst numberless examples, I'll limit myself to only three. Before voluntarily asking to trade his own life so as to save the life of a Jewish man who had children, Fr. Kolbe was already in Auschwitz because of having defended the Jewish and spoken out against the nazi regime. During his last week on this earth, St. Maximilian Kolbe offered his torture and pain for the Holocaust to come to an end.

Soon a new saint will be formally canonized. Blessed Luis Romero was an Archbishop in El Salvador who bravely spoke against the military dictatorship that was ruling his country and oppressing his people. Once again, I could come up with thousands of examples of Catholic martyrs all over the world. Yet, I don't think that anyone would be willing to read such an awfully long comment. Of course not every government comes from God. Bad governments are servants of the devil.

"Congratulations", Donald! The horns of the devil clearly show up once more with this.

"Congratulations", Donald! The horns of the devil clearly show up once more with this.  Everyone needs to know. Stop lying and admit to hating everything that is ProLife.
I want to let everyone know. Until now, unless in case of "extraordinary circumstances" warranting detention, ICE would release pregnant women from custody. The Trump administration ended that policy. Now pregnant women will be no longer released from immigration detention, which is totally ill-equipped to meet the basic health, hygiene, and safety needs of mother and unborn child. Pregnant women might be released only on a "case by case basis"--which means the need to prove the presence of extraordinary circumstances justifying their release. It means the need to remain in detention for uncertain and practically endless periods until able to prove the need to be released. It may mean the need to pay attorney fees that they cannot afford. It may mean putting the lives of unborn babies at risk.

Donald, how alarmingly and atrociously anti-life is that? Do you think that any Pro-Life supporter would have done such a thing? Spit it out once and for all: Not only you're NOT Pro-Life. You're the very worst enemy the ProLife cause could have.
I'm sure you don't like the way I'm addressing you, Donald, do you? That's not the way I talk either. I never did and never will. Yet, do you want to know why the "spit it out" expression came to my mind instead of having said something like, "admit to it" or "say it aloud"? From your own words when three years ago, back in April 2015, when at an event organized by Texas Patriots PAC you referred to undocumented immigrants with these words: “Everything’s coming across the border: the illegals, the cars, the whole thing. It’s like a big mess. Blah. It’s like vomit.”
Are human beings "like vomit", Donald? After you referred to some countries and their people as sh-holes, former Mexican president Vicente Fox correctly depicted your mouth as "the foulest sh-hole in the world". Paraphrasing his words, I'll say that what causes me to vomit is to hear you talk.
Today is Good Friday, the commemoration of the horrible, excruciatingly painful death nailed to the Cross that Jesus voluntarily accepted to save all of us. Not just those from certain parts of the world. Not just those who dress in a certain way. Not just those who can afford some minimal living standards. Not even just those who believe in Him. Jesus died for all. Jesus praised the immigrant. Jesus stood up for equality and social justice. Jesus only condemned those like you, Donald. Think about it--although I very much doubt that you care,
Lillian Godone-Maresca

ICE Ends Policy Of Presuming Release For Pregnant Detainees

Instead, pregnant women will be released from immigrant detention only on a case-by-case basis.

huffingtonpost.com|By Elise Foley

Meeting Street School: Meeting the Challenge. Today's School Walkout, March 14, 2018.

Let's go back to the time when most of the world was still in disbelief that the then newly installed current president of the United States could start his term at the Oval Office by openly showing his hatred for immigrants and refugees, particularly if from certain countries where the predominant skin tone is not light white. Meeting Street found a way to simultaneously do charity and deliver a clear message. They started a teddy bear drive for children of refugee and immigrant families.  That's not politics. That's just helping those in need.

Then, directly from the White House, the attacks on D.A.C.A. recipients followed. Only those with very cold hearts, not to say heatless, can think that illegally crossing a border in order to flee persecution or escape extreme poverty is equivalent to commiting a crime. Many undocumented immigrants have only overstayed their allowed period to remain in the country.  Whether one case of the other, there is no crime. And when it comes to minors who were brought across the border by their  parents, even from a strictly legal standpoint it doesn't make sense to attempt to find any apparently valid ground to send them back. Their parents were not criminals but heroes, looking to give to their young what they didn't have when growing up. Some were trying to keep their children alive.  Although not formally legl, entering without inspection or overstaying was an act of courage and love.  Long ago, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said that "the so-called 'illegal' immigrants are not so out of their own volition but because the same society that uses their labor does not afford them a way to regularize their situation. They are not breaking the law: the law is breaking them."  And the kids they brought into the country did not even commit the allegedly 'illegal' act. Because they were minors at the time.

Meeting Street did not look the other way as cowards do.  Instead, they stepped in and offered assistance to parents who were D.A.C.A. recipients--parents who were Dreamers making their dreams a reality for their kids.  Particularly, those parents were in even more dire need of help. They had grown up in their new country and then had been blessed in a very special way--with a little one with special needs. In all likelihood, if forced to leave the U.S., their special sons or daughters might no longer have the level of medical attention, therapies, and equipment they need. Because the reality of the situation is that, if coming from a country of origin with comparable healthcare, they wouldn't be at risk of getting kicked out.

Even though I don't remember the exact title or the author, a book recommendation for the middle school students was about "unnatural disasters". I believe the book was entitled that way. That's a very appropriate kind of reading at a time when environmental protections are being removed and the whole U.S. had been pulled out of the Paris Agreement.

With respect to the primary topic of my post, namely the National School Walkout on today's date, March 14, 2018, I want to highlight the beauty, the courage, and the sensitivity of a very valid point that Meeting Street lists as one of their primary reasons to participate. They say that students of all abilities have the right to be protected and to have their voices heard.

Whereas many schools are literally doing what over two thousands years ago Pontius Pilate did and are washing their hands out of the issue, Meeting Street is there, organizing the event for its students.

The underlying situation should be looked at with a twofold focus. First of all, in general terms, no school should limit itself to leaving it up to its students. Safety is not a luxury. It's not a want but a need. It's not only a matter of letting the students demonstrate if they decide to do so. Students cannot be forced to participate--but if they do, their schools should not only let them do it but should support them instread--as Meeting Street does. It is the adults' job to find the best and safest way to make the event a peacefully successful one. It may sound like a word game but the goal is for the event to transpire uneventfully. For that, also typically developing students can certainly benefit from grown-up help.

Then, when it comes specifically to Meeting Street, they show their commitment to special education in a very eloquent, vibrant way where they say that all students should be heard--independently of level of ability. They are a voice for all the special needs kids who also want to to be and feel safe and yet may not be able to express themselves the same as their non-challenged peers can.

Affording them that chance is going beyond academics and even beyond extracurriculars. It's helping them keep alive. It's teacxhing them about life. It's making life more understandable and meanigful to them.

For all that, thank you, Margaret!

Lillian Godone-Maresca


Further to my post, which I wrote prior to the actual walkout, I'd like to add a few pics of the event, showing Philip, who is my youngest son, some other kids, and also me as I joined the protest along Eddy Street in Providence. I want to mention that most vehicles passing by honked at us in support.

Here are the pics.  Thank you.





 


 

I'll Say It Once More, Loud and Clear: Trump Is NOT ProLife.

My second latest timeline post is a ProLife one. Someone's comment to it was that he'll "be more impressed when we start protecting those who are already born." That brought me to elaborate on a topic I'm totally passionate about--and thus came up with a new timeline post which I'm making into a blog post as well.

The ProLife is NOT hard line at all. BTW, I apologize for the capitalization--but this is what I've made a life commitment to fight for. Being ProLife is NOT having rigid, unmovable traditional values. Being ProLife is being compasionate and courageous. It is defying society and ignoring anyone who is insensitive and obnoxious enough to point the finger when love didn't wait.

Being ProLife is opening one's home to children with special needs. Those who are involved with the adoption community very well know that there are families willing to adopt children with the most severe challenges, with the most complex medical issues, even including reduced life expectancies. Even life-threatening conditions and terminal illness. Being ProLife is welcoming the immigrant and the refugee. Not too long ago, in one of his homilies, our priest said, "Because you are ProLife, we are pro-immigrant as well."

Pope Francis vehemently condemned the Mexican border wall and the Muslim ban. If you scrolled down my timeline and visited my older children's FB pages, you'd see posts after posts defending immigrants and refugees, denouncing racism, fighting against Trump and the right wing, supporting universal healthcare, and promoting gun control.

Life starts at conception. Nobody has the right to dismember innocent, defenseless human beings, to suck their little brains out. There is nothing progressive about supporting abortion. Getting rid of the baby is bowing to obsolete societal prejudice against unwed mothers. Supporting abortion carries the old-fashioned assumption that one-parent families are second-class families--not as good as two-parent ones. Supporting abortion implies the retrograde stereotype that single mothers cannot make a living. Supporting abortion goes hand-in-hand with Trump's view of women as sex objects.
From the very begging I've been trying to make others understand that, far from being ProLife, Trump is the worst enemy the ProLife cause could have ever had. By falsely pretending to be pro-life, Trump is causing more damage to the sanctity of human life than the most recalcitrant abortion propagandist ever could. Trump is Satan's most sophisticated plan to debilitate the ProLife cause, which was getting stronger and stronger by the day.

I'll capitalize again: by being racist, Trump is AGAINST human life. By being anti-Muslim, he is ignoring that Jesus came to earth to die not for some but for all. By using obscene language against people from certain counties where skin tone is not pale white, he is insulting the pregnant women and the children, born and unborn, from those countries. By doing away with environmental protections and repudiating gun control, he is exposing babies in the womb and small children to hazardous chemicals and is endangering kids and humans of all ages who can eventually end up being shot at school any day.

The sanctity of human life, equality, and social justice are three intrinsically intertwined concepts that cannot survive without one another.

God bless,

Lillian Godone-Maresca

Attacks to the A.D.A.: One More Proof That Trump Is Not ProLife

This attempt to shrink the scope of the ADA is in my eyes one more proof that I was totally correct when back in November of 2016 I said that Trump and all those right-wing scoundrels around him are Satan's cleverest and most sophisticated plan to damage the ProLife cause. For God's sake, all people should open their eyes and realize that those jerks have not the least consideration for human life or human dignity.

This attack against the ADA is an attack against the disabled. Until very recently, it looked like the United States were among the best countries for people with disabilities to live and thrive. When adopting from Bulgaria I was told that many Bulgarian birthmothers gave up their infants with challenges for adoption as their ultimate act of love in the hope that they'd be adopted and taken to live in countries such as Italy and the U.S. where, far from being discriminated against, they'd be provided with the resources to reach their full potentials and have the very same opportunities as their able-bodied and typically-developing peers. This attempt to regress in the protection of those with disabilities is like a stab in the back to those birthmothers who trusted the U.S. as a country that could give their babies what their vernacular land wouldn't. Now the U.S. as a country is withdrawing that protection which in the past seemed to be something that could be taken for granted. Therefore, now it's up to the families who committed to those children to continue the fight.

Brittany, who started this petition, had even more courage--because it's much easier to fight for something as an advocate than to do it for oneself. Yet, she was brave and did it--and we all need to support her.

The right to life, the ProLife cause, the true anti-abortion fight is progressive--not retrograde. Nothing could be more eloquently progressive than when over 2000 years ago God did not select for the Incarnation of His Only Son a married couple but a single teenage girl named Mary. And, far from being immobilized by fear, Mary risked the possibility of being stoned to death as it was done those days to women who had an out-of-wedlock affair. Wasn't that ultra-progressive?
Taking rights away from the disabled is about concealment. It aims at making things more difficult for them so that they will be outcasts in society again. It aims at closing doors on them, at pushing them away from the job market. Abortion is about concealment as well. It's about bowing to societal pressures, about being afraid of gossip, about pointing fingers. It's about wanting fun with no strings attached or about not wanting to be tied up to an adorable little one with any special challenge. All this means going back to a society we thought we had left behind. If those facing challenges are to have fewer rights and lesser medical care, the number of special needs adoptions is likely to drop--and the number of abortions is likely to go up.

Needless to say, it's also lacking in any sense and not progressive either to proclaim the rights of the disabled if they're going to be denied the most basic right of all: the right to be born. It seems to very easy to care for and respect everyone. Why, when it comes to practical terms, it looks so unnecessarily difficult, though? We cannot remain silent. We cannot allow the right wing to take away some rights that those living with challenges need in order to go on with their lives on a daily basis. This is not Sparta. This is not Nazi Germany--and we cannot let neo-nazis get away with it.

Please sign Britanny's petition.

God bless.

 https://click.mail.change.org/?qs=5aa134e3bceb84a42e889eea2ffe248ee14998845d526caa764f1e97aa7f7fcb0f549b05635b80fe7c552e2425df73e280b5a9dea03b35ff820c000722720de2

Lenten Reflections: The Scriptures and Our World

    While attending Mass on Ash Wednesday I remembered about these reflections I had written back in 2006 when I used to teach Religious Education at St. Timothy's Catholic Parish in Southern California. When it comes to writing, I'm kind of a perfectionist, and therefore needed to do some revisions and corrections. Some other amendments were required by the changes not only in personal circumstances but also, and most blatantly, by the overall turn for the worse that is evidenced by the present political situation.

    There is one clarification I want to make, though. The selfie I'm posting with the ashes on my forehead is from four days ago. No, I don't look twelve years older now. The pic is new.

    No more preambles. Let's get started, and God bless you all.

    Lent is a time when we are supposed to reflect more profoundly upon Jesus’ endless love for us, about His horrendous death for our redemption, about what He expects from us—not for Himself, but for each other’s sake, as He comes to us in the poor, the hungry, the oppressed, the immigrant, the abandoned, the stigmatized, the sick, the homeless.

    These brief reflections are not intended to be deep theological comments, but simply some practical applications of Lenten Gospel readings to our daily lives.  That's something I was taught from early childhood-and something I always found to be entirely true. No matter what our situation, dilemma, concern, or endeavor may be, we can always look for answers in the Bible—and we can be sure that the reply, the solution, the comfort, the idea we needed to get, find, or experience will be there for us. That's what my family taught me and it always worked for me. It's easier and simpler than you think. That's why I feel I should show others what was always shown to me. 

    One beautiful, well-known passage that we hear on Ash Wednesday is from Matthew 6;2-4, when Jesus says,
    “When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”

    Far from living in a totally careless society as the media sometimes portrays it, most people these days are involved in charity in one way or another, whether as sponsors or as volunteers—or both.  Most of us truly enjoy devoting our time to community service, and those of us who are parents tend to beam with happiness when our children cherish every opportunity to help others.  I will not deny that I have always obsessively pursued my kids first with my camera and then with my cell phone on camera every served those less fortunate--mostly when my older children were still young enough for me to volunteer with them.  And, beyond the photo albums, I loved, and still love, to enlarge, frame, and hang some of those pictures, and have the walls bulging with them. I won't say how many copies of a local paper I'd  buy every time my kids were featured in it because of their volunteerism.  And society at large is not free from that "showing off" fever.  Besides the common appreciation certificates and community service awards, sponsors are frequently offered plaques displaying, at least within a certain range, the size of the donation made.  In effect, sponsors are given different titles, or ranking, depending upon the magnitude of their gift. That's how people can become bronze, silver, gold, or platinum donors.

    Whereas there is nothing wrong with the natural pride of having done something good, or even with the human expectation of some earthly recognition, we tend to overdo it.  When taking pictures, are we careful not to invade the privacy of the recipients?  Do we really treat them as our equals?  There is nothing wrong in feeling the internal pleasure of having done something for someone in need,  in taking some discreet pictures of one’s own children while volunteering, in including community service as part of our resumes, or in honoring those who have given beyond expectation.  But frequently we go over the limits.  One “thing” is to wear a T-shirt showing our participation in a walk or other fundraising event, and another one is to go around with a pin saying in full words something like, "I helped a sick child today." 

    Shouldn’t we remember that charity is an act of love, as opposed to an elegant, upscale way of satisfying our own ego?   Perhaps we should read St. Matthew’s passage a little more often.

    Another extremely important Lenten Gospel reading is the one, during the first Sunday of Lent, about the devil trying to tempt Jesus. To each temptation, Jesus replies with quotations from the Old Testament. As Fr. Jim Rafferty pointed out in his homily in 2006, that reading from Mathew 4; 1-11 clearly shows, like numberless others, the close inter-relationship between the Old and the New Testaments.   He also reminded us that the three different temptations are about humans’ main weaknesses, namely for the carnal, or mundane pleasures, for prestige, and for money and power.  Jesus resists temptation and shows us how we should resist temptation as well.

    But I will only emphasize what, to me, is the most forceful condemnation of foolish risks.  My Mother, now with God. always used to say that human life is too precious and too sacred to risk it for the sake of a sports stunt or competition.  She would point out, and repeat, that, notwithstanding his very athletic nature,  St. John Paul II, then Pope John Paul II, was openly against violent and dangerous sports. 

    Notwithstanding my words, and trying to make up for my far from optimal coordination,  I think I rode all roller coasters geographically available. I bungee jumped nine times, and even skydived once. It was a tandem jump, where I was just harnessed to my instructor.  Yet, I find in the second temptation, or, actually, in Jesus’ reply thereto, the strongest condemnation of unnecessary risks.  In effect, the devil took Jesus to a temple, made Him stand on a high parapet, and challenged Him to throw Himself down, counting that God would send His angels to hold and protect Him.  Jesus replied, “Again it is written, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.” (Matthew 4;7).

    That is something of which all young people should be reminded of before participating in any activity with the peer group.  How many times one classmate, playmate, or teammate dares another do something unnecessarily risky, or laughs at someone who, due to lesser practice or lesser ability, is unwilling to try a certain activity or stunt?  How many times the whole group makes fun of a boy or girl who lacks the necessary training, skill, or, simply, desire, to climb on, jump from, or jump over something? 

    Should that child risk breaking their head only to please so-called “friends” who do not seem to care about their safety, feelings, and self-esteem?  Shouldn’t that child remember that nobody is supposed to put God to the test?  Let’s think about it for a moment.  We know that God’s tender loving care for all and each one of us humans is unlimited.  We know that He can, and does, listen to absolutely all the countless requests for protection that He may receive every second.  Yet, isn’t it to be a little too arrogant to expect God to protect us while doing something that we simply want to do in order to please a member of the peer group?  We should rather let God protect those who are confronting danger for the sake of another, as when saving someone, as well as those who find themselves confronted by danger either through no fault of their own or due to mistake, inadvertence, or even some degree of fault without any desire for anything to happen. I'm talking about everyday occurrences, such as forgetting to lock the door before going to bed, failing to notice a stop sign, or speeding a little because of being late for work.  The person didn't expect a burglar to come in or to get into a collision. It is only natural to ask God for protection if we hear footsteps in the middle of the night or see another vehicle bearing down on us. It is totally true that, no matter what, no request from any of us is annoying to God. His love is endless and He does care about each and all of us. Yet, why to  “overburden” Him with claims for protection if we voluntarily engage in an activity that we could have avoided altogether?  Moreover, by doing what some group members are trying to make us do, would we be fulfilling their expectations?  Or would we be just giving them the pleasure of laughing at us? Would those frienemies be truly happy for us if we did it?  Surely not.  All they are looking for is some fun—and we shouldn't feed into that. We shouldn't provide them with the unhealthy amusement they're looking for.

    Nowadays, coaches appear to expect more and more—and even more, and so does society at large.  It looks like there is no limit to new roller coaster designs, skate park features, extreme sports ideas, and increasingly fancier gymnastic stunts.  The issue is that not everybody can keep up with the pace. In reality, the vast majority of us cannot.  Is it worthwhile to risk injury or death?  Shouldn't we think that there are lots of other things that we are still supposed to accomplish during our journey on this earth?  Do we really want to shorten that journey? Don't we want to be able to see some more of our most cherished dreams come true?

    Jesus had both the infinite courage and infinite love to go through unimaginable suffering when He died for us on the Cross—but He did it for a reason.  Yet, He did not throw Himself down the temple’s wall to please Satan. 
 
    When feeling that we must do something risky, even though our heart is racing, our hands are sweaty, and our airways appear to be closing to the point of choking, we should stop for a second and, before doing anything foolish, think:  Should Jesus have thrown Himself down the parapet of the temple?
           
    Another key passage of total application to our times is the reading from John 4;5-42, on the third Sunday of Lent.   In those times, Jews used to consider Samaritan women to be ritually impure.  They were forbidden to drink from any cup that had been handled by a woman from Samaria.  Yet, defying the unfair societal laws of His days, Jesus not only approaches a Samaritan woman but also asks her for a drink—something that was in violation of the norms of His time.   The woman herself was surprised and asked Jesus, “ ‘How can You, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?’ – For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.”   

    Besides being the passage that institutionalizes Jesus’ ministry to the Gentiles, it is also one of the key passages that show His condemnation of racism and discrimination in any way, shape, or form. 

    Back in 2006 when I wrote these reflections, I said that even if racism seemed to be much less of a problem at the time, still there were many subtle ways in which prejudice still lingered around.  Then I'd have never imagined that twelve years later racism would be on the rise again.  Although total eradication would not be possible, it was not foreseeable that it'd become open and rampant again.

    Twelve years ago I wrote that nobody would openly question the societal propriety of equality—and never imagined that twelve years later, the president of a leading nation could use obscene language to refer to other countries, could identify immigrants with criminals and mock the disabled--and could still remain in office.

    At the time when I wrote these reflections, I didn't think that society would arrive to be openly and bluntly racist again.  As regrettable as those attitudes are, the ones I described then seemed to be nothing by comparison to what is happening today.  The examples I gave twelve years ago were of people keeping on making hurtful comments about appearances, backgrounds, accents, disability, and occupational status.  I mentioned that the boss was introduced by their first and last name, whereas a secretary was still introduced only by their first name.  I mentioned that still many citizens by birth did not allow foreigners to assimilate--even if those foreigners were citizens as well.  Yet, once again, then I said that those racist overtones were not openly expressed, but in subtle, insidious ways, quite often even disguised as efforts to protect those foreigners and their different heritages.  Then I said that it was done by still adhering to obsolete stereotypes--as if everyone from a certain nationality necessarily had to like a certain kind of food or enjoy a certain kind of music.  Then I said that it was done by many tuning their ears to immediately perceive the slightest foreign or even regional accent.  I also pointed out that amongst children and teenagers it appeared to be regarded as socially incorrect to be a new or less popular student--because all that seemed to matter was to be part of the “cool” group.  What was so 'cool' about that?  Wouldn’t 'cruel' be a better word?   Would it be even cooler to have the courage to defy those obsolete rules as Jesus defied the unfair laws of His time?  Wouldn't it be cooler to do what Jesus expects us to do? 

    Concerning that "cool" stuff, there is one last point I want to make. It is from the very account of the Passion, which we will hear on Palm Sunday (Mark 14; 1-15; 47).  I will not address the excruciating pain Jesus underwent for us, as he got beaten up, crowned with thorns, forced to carry His own cross, had His hands and feet pierced by nails, and was crucified.  We all know how infinitely He loved us—and how infinitely He loves each one of us every day of our lives.  
                                                                                             
    All I want to address is the fact that the multitudes had shouted against Him, had claimed for Him to be crucified.  They had witnessed His miracles and had marveled at them.  They had been thankful to Him for His mercy.  They knew He had resurrected the dead, had given sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf.  They knew He had made the paralytic walk.  Yet, at one point, they were all against Him.  That should help us question the validity of popularity, peer acceptance, or a positive media image.  Are those actual measures of our own worth?  Do we need others to like us, to give us their approval, for us to know what our infinite value is?  Is the most popular classmate the best, the kindest, the nicest one?  Haven’t you noticed that those who are not among the popular crowd are more likely to have better spiritual and moral qualities--and perhaps even better skills?   The only skill they may not have is the ability to manipulate others and take advantage of them. Yet--is that ability a true skill?

    Moreover, how many saints have been ridiculed, vilified, defamed, tortured, and killed by their contemporaries?  Needless to say, it's okay, and only human, to want others to like us. It's all right to be happy when they do.  The important “thing” is never to do anything we don’t want to do only in order to get someone’s approval. It's important to never base our self-image on popularity among the peer group or on a club or team membership.  It's important to never allow an inappropriate, unkind, nasty comment that someone else may make to cast any doubts about our own value, dignity, and worth.   

    I wish you all the opportunity to find reconciliation and peace of mind during this Lenten time so as to rejoice with Jesus on Easter and always.