Easter Time

1) Opening prayer

Lord our God, Father of all,

you sent your Son Jesus Christ among us

to reveal to us that you care about people

and that your love extends to all,

without any distinction of race or culture.

Give us a great respect for all people,

whatever way they come,

and let your Church embrace all cultures,

that Jesus may truly be

the Lord and Shepherd of all,

now and for ever.

2) Gospel Reading - John 10:11-18

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and the sheep do not belong to him, abandons the sheep as soon as he sees a wolf coming, and runs away, and then the wolf attacks and scatters the sheep; he runs away because he is only a hired man and has no concern for the sheep.

I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for my sheep. And there are other sheep I have that are not of this fold, and I must lead these too. They too will listen to my voice, and there will be only one flock, one shepherd.

The Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me; I lay it down of my own free will, and as I have power to lay it down, so I have power to take it up again; and this is the command I have received from my Father.

3) Reflection

• The Gospel today presents the parable of the Good Shepherd. It is the continuation of the Gospel which we read yesterday (Sunday). It is difficult to understand the first part without the second. This is why we prefer to comment briefly on both (Jn 10: 1-18). The discourse on the Good Shepherd presents three comparisons linked among themselves:

1^st comparison: Jesus speaks of the shepherd and of the thieves (Jn 10:1-5)

2^nd comparison: Jesus is the door of the sheep (Jn 10: 6-10)

3^rd comparison: Jesus is the Good Shepherd (Jn 10:11-18)

• John 10: 1-5: 1^st comparison: to enter by the door and not by somewhere else. Jesus begins the discourse with the comparison of the door: “Anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate is a thief and a bandit! He who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock!” At that time, the shepherds took care of the flock the whole day. When night arrived they lead the sheep to a great community sheepfold, which was well protected against thieves and wolves. All the shepherds of the same region took their flocks there. A gatekeeper took care of them the whole night. The following day, early in the morning, the shepherd would go there, knocked with his hands on the gate and the gatekeeper would open. The shepherd would go in and call the sheep by name. The sheep recognized the voice of their shepherd would get up and go out following him to go to the pasture. The sheep of the other shepherds heard the voice, but would not move, because for them it was an unknown voice. From time to time, there was the danger of being attacked. The bandits would enter by a side path or jumped over the wall of the sheepfold, made of one rock on top of the other, in order to rob the sheep. They did not enter by the gate because the gatekeeper was there.

• John 10: 6-10: 2^nd comparison: Jesus is the door. The audience, the Pharisees (Jn 9: 40-41), did not understand what it meant “to go in through the door”. Jesus then explained: “I am the gate of the sheepfold. All who have come before me are thieves and bandits”. Of whom is Jesus speaking in this phrase which is so hard? Probably, he was referring to the religious leaders who drew the people behind them but they did not respond to their expectations. They were not interested in the good of the people, but only in their own interest and in filling their pockets. They deceived the people and abandoned them to a worse situation. To enter through the gate is to act as Jesus acted. The fundamental criterion to discern who is shepherd and who is a thief is the defence of the life of the sheep. Jesus asks the people not to follow the persons who present themselves as shepherds, but who have no interest for the life of the people. “I have come in order that they have life and life in abundance!” This is the criterion!

• John 10: 11-15: 3^rd comparison: Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Jesus changes the comparison. First he was the door of the flock. Now he is the Shepherd of the sheep. Everyone knew what a shepherd was and how he lived and worked. But Jesus is not just any shepherd but, he is the Good Shepherd! The image of the Good Shepherd comes from the Old Testament. Saying that he is the Good Shepherd, Jesus presents himself as the one who comes to fulfil the promises of the prophets and the expectations of the people; for example the beautiful prophecy of Ezekiel (Ex 34: 11-16). There are two points on which Jesus insists: (a) in the defence of the life of the sheep: the Good Shepherd gives his life for the life of the sheep. (b) In the mutual knowledge between the shepherd and the sheep: The shepherd knows his sheep and the sheep know the shepherd. Jesus says that the people have a particular perception and know who the Good Shepherd is. This was what the Pharisees did not accept. They despised or rejected the sheep and said they were damned and ignorant (Jn 7: 49; 9, 34). They thought they had the right and apt view to discern the things of God. In reality they were blind. The discourse on the Good Shepherd teaches two rules to cure this type of blindness, which is quite frequent: (i) to pay special attention to the reaction of the sheep, because they know the voice of the shepherd. (ii) To be very attentive to the attitude of the one who calls himself the shepherd to see if his interest is the life of the sheep, or not, and if he is capable to give his life for the life of the sheep.

• John 10: 16-18: The goal which Jesus wants to attain: one only flock and one only Shepherd. Jesus opens the horizon and says that he has other sheep that do not belong to this flock. They have not as yet heard the voice of Jesus, but when they will hear it, they will become aware that he is the shepherd and will follow him. This is the Ecumenical universal dimension.

4) Personal questions

• Shepherd – Pastoral. Does the Pastoral ministry in my Parish imitate the mission of Jesus as shepherd? And in my pastoral ministry which is my attitude? Am I a shepherd as Jesus?

• Have you had the experience of having been deceived by a false shepherd? How did you succeed in overcoming this?

5) Concluding Prayer

As a deer yearns for running streams,

so I yearn for you, my God.

I thirst for God, the living God;

when shall I go to see the face of God? (Ps 42:1-2)

Christus resurrexit!

Resurrexit vere! AlleluIa!

In Pascha Domini

A.D. 2014

Fernando Prior Generalis

Domusque Generalis Communitas

*Image: Firenze, Convento di San Marco, Fra Angelico - Noli Me Tangere, 1440

The Elective Chapter of the Carmelite Monastery of Tafira Alta, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, was held 14-15 April 2014. The following were elected:

• Prioress:  Sr. M. Antonia de Jesús Barbancho Aranda, O.Carm.
• 1st Councilor:   Sr. M. de La Paz Del Toro Garrido, O.Carm.
• 2nd Councilor:  Sr. M. Guadalupe Franco Sánchez , O.Carm.
• Director of Novices:  Sr. M. de La Paz Del Toro Garrido, O.Carm.
• Treasurer:  Sr. M. de la Purificación Feria Pérez , O.Carm.
• Sacristan:   Sr. M Guadalupe Franco Sánchez., O.Carm.

During the Provincial Chapter of the Betica Province held on 14-16 April 2014 were elected:

• Prior Provincial:  Fr. Francisco Daza Valverde, O.Carm.
• First Councilor:  Fr. José Ramón Medina Madueño, O.Carm.
• Second Councilor:  Fr. Pablo Herrasti Barbancho, O.Carm.
• Third Councilor:  Fr. Alejandro Peñalta Mohedano, O.Carm.
• Fourth Councilor:  Fr. David Del Carpio Horcajo, O.Carm.

During the Provincial Chapter of the Catalonian Province held on 9-11 April 2014 were elected:

• Prior Provincial:  Fr. Manuel Bonilla Gutiérrez, O.Carm.
• First Councilor:  Fr. Javier D. Garmón i Calvo, O.Carm.
• Second Councilor:  Fr. Raúl V. Masana i Peiró, O.Carm.
• Third Councilor:  Fr. Luis J. Maza Subero, O.Carm.
• Fourth Councilor:  Fr. Jordi M. Gil i Costa, O.Carm.

The VII Assembly of the Federation "Mater et Decor Carmeli", Spain, was held 25-30 March 2014. The following were elected:

• President:  Sr. María Dolores Domínguez Pérez, O.Carm.
• 1st Councilor:   Sr. Liliana Campos Rosa, O.Carm.
• 2nd Councilor:  Sr. M. Pilar Martín Gómez, O.Carm.
• 3rd Councilor:   Sr. Reinhild Maschke, O.Carm.
• 4th Couniclor:   Sr. Lourdes Santos Alvarez, O.Carm.

Luke 23:50-56

The light of the Bridegroom, shines beyond the night

1. Prayer

Lord, on this day, there is only emptiness and solitude, absence and silence: a tomb, a lifeless body, and the dark of the night.

You are no longer visible, no word, no breathing. You are observing the Sabbath, in total rest. Where will I find You, now that I have lost You?

I will follow the women, I too will sit down together with them, in silence, to make ready the fragrances of love. From my heart, Lord, I will take the most delicate fragrances, the most precious, just as the woman did, when in her love she broke the alabaster jar and spread its perfume all around. 

And I will call the Spirit, with the words of the bride, I will say again, “Awake, north wind, come, wind of the south! Breathe over my garden” (Song 4:16)

2. Reading

From the Gospel according to Luke (23:50-56)

Now there was a virtuous and righteous man named Joseph who, though he was a member of the council, had not consented to their plan of action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea and was awaiting the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. After he had taken the body down, he wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb in which no one had yet been buried. It was the day of preparation, and the sabbath was about to begin. The women who had come from Galilee with him followed behind, and when they had seen the tomb and the way in which his body was laid in it, they returned and prepared spices and perfumed oils. Then they rested on the sabbath according to the commandment.

3. Meditation

“Now”,  a very simple expression, full of life and truth, marking the existing of a cry that breaks through the indifference, shakes us from our paralysis, and breaks through the veil. It stands in opposition to and as an escape from the great distance taken by the disciples of Jesus throughout His passion. Peter followed Him from afar (Lk 22:54); all those who knew Him and the women who had followed Him, looked on from a distance (Lk 23:49), but Joseph of Arimathea, steps forward, introduces himself to Pilate and asks for Jesus’ body. He is there, not listed among the absent, he is near, not standing at a distance, and he will never leave.

 ^”It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning”. This gospel is situated in that moment that divides the dark of the night from the light of the new day. The Greek verb used by Luke seems to describe clearly the movement of this holy Saturday, that little by little emerges from the darkness and rises and grows beyond the light. In this resurrection movement we too are caught up, as we approach this scripture in faith. But, we have to choose, to remain in death, in the preparation, that is only preparation and not fulfillment, or accept to enter the movement in order to rise in the light. As the Lord says, “Awake, you who sleep, rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you” (Ep 5:14) using the same verb.

“who had come with Him from Galilee, followed”,  These words are very beautiful, referring to the movement of the women, because they help us capture all the intensity of their participation in what was happening to Jesus. Indeed, Luke uses certain nuances, for example, using a form of the verb “to follow” that suggests greater intensity. The reference to “with Him”  has the same effect. They went together, decisively, urged on by their love. Their journey, which began in Galilee, continues, even through death, and absence. Perhaps they feel that they are not alone and they begin to proclaim that He is present. 

 “and they saw the tomb”, It is wonderful to note that in the eyes of these women there is a light that is more powerful than the night! They can see beyond, they observe, they take note and they look intently and with real interest: in one word, they contemplate. The eyes of the heart open out to the reality of what is happening. As the gaze of Jesus reaches them, they bear within them His image, the face of that love that has visited and illumined their whole existence. Not even the drama of death and physical separation could extinguish the Sun that never sets, even though it is night.    

“Then they returned”,   As well as that, they still have the internal strength to make decisions, to do things, to set out once more on the way. They turn their backs on death, on absence, and they go home, like the victorious warrior. They carry no trophies, but in their hearts they bear a certainty, the courage of an ardent love.

 “and prepared spices and ointments”. This was the task of the priests, as the Scriptures tell us (I Cr 9:30); it is a sacred duty, almost liturgical, almost like a prayer. The women of the Gospel, in fact, pray and succeed in transforming the night of death into a place of blessing, hope, loving and attentive care. No glance, no movement or gesture is without meaning for them. They prepare, or more precisely, as we see from the meaning of the corresponding Hebrew verb, they compose the perfumed aromas using all their wisdom to mix the necessary ingredients, in the right measure and proportion: a wholly feminine art, wholly maternal, born from within, from the womb, a privileged place of love. Holy Saturday, indeed, is like a womb that embraces life: an embrace that protects and nurtures the new creature that is about to be born.

“On the sabbath they rested”, What rest are we really talking about? What cessation, what suspension is coming about in the lives of these women in the depth of their hearts? The verb that Luke uses clearly suggests “silence”, a silence that turns into the main actor in this Sabbath, a Holy Saturday of waiting. There are no more words to be said, no declarations, no debate: all the world is silent, as the wind of the Holy Spirit blows (cf. Job 38:17) and the fragrance spreads. One song returns to the heart, in the night, (Ps 76:7): it is a song of love, repeated by the women, and with them, Joseph, and everyone, who like him, is not bound by the decisions and the actions of others (v.5) in this world. The words are the words that the Bride in the Song of Songs repeats, the last words, kept in reserve for the Beloved, when, right at the end of the book, she says: “Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag upon the mountains of spices”. (Song 8:14). This is the cry of the resurrection, the song of victory over death.

4. Questions for Reflection

Do I stand, perhaps, at a distance, not wanting to come any closer to Jesus, not wanting to look for Him, not wanting to wait for Him?

Would I be able to follow the women, and walk into the night, into death, into the emptiness?

Are my eyes open to see the place of the burial, the stone that hides the Lord Jesus? Can I experience contemplation, that is, can I see in some depth, beyond the surface? Do I believe in the presence of the Lord, stronger than the tomb and the rock?

Am I willing to go back, along with the women? That is, to go through a journey of conversion, change?

Is there space in me for silence, for the attention of the heart, for openness to God?

Do I feel arising within me the desire to proclaim the resurrection, the new life in Christ, all around me? Am I too, at least somewhat, like the women of the Gospel, who repeat the invitation of the Bridegroom, “Rise!” 

5. Closing Prayer

Lord, for You the night is as clear as the day!

Song of Trust and Security in God

Protect me, O God, for in You I take refuge.

I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord;

I have no good apart from You.’

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;

You hold my lot.

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

I have a goodly heritage.

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;

in the night also my heart instructs me.

I keep the Lord always before me;

because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;

my body also rests secure.

For You do not give me up to Sheol,

or let Your faithful one see the Pit.

You show me the path of life.

In Your presence there is fullness of joy;

in Your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

from Psalm 16

On March 25 th, 2014, the new Theological Institute of St John of the Cross, was inaugurated by His Excellency Mgr. Antonio Guido Filipazzi, the Nuncio to Indonesia,  after having finished the buildings of the campus. Present at this ceremony were also 5 other bishops from different parts of Indonesia and many priests, the local Government Officials, and about 4 (four) thousands guests and local people. In this area the majority of the population are Catholics.

St John of the Cross Major Seminary was owned by the Congregation of Carmelitae Sancti Eliae (CSE) and run together with the sisters of Putri Karmel (Daughters of Carmel), both affiliated to the Order. It was started in 2012. At present they have 17 students to start with, coming from Indonesia and Malaysia. The Theological Institute is situated in a small village called Bandol in the Archdiocese of Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia.