“Hosanna to the Son of David” (Mt 21:9).
April 5, 2020
Dear Sisters: We are at the portico of this special Holy Week. Today is the day of great contrasts: In the morning, Jesus is acclaimed by the crowd… in the evening he returns to Bethany, when the mobs abandon him, he seeks shelter in the house of his friends…
This year we do not raise our branches or palms in the streets… All united, we lift up our hearts and acclaim the Son of David, the coming King… At the same time, we prostrate ourselves before Jesus. The Servant, who gives himself to save us! We ask Him to deliver us from the scourge that afflicts Humanity, that kidnaps so many people, among whom are our Sisters, in the “solitude” of the hospital, of their rooms… or of the fears of so many others…
Last Sunday’s liturgy presented us with the Resurrection of Lazarus. Jesus wept at the tomb of his friend… The Pope, in his homily at the Eucharist in Santa Marta, told us that it was the day of “weeping”. Yes, it is the time of weeping… so many tears shed or silenced throughout the length and breadth of our planet! Or serenely assumed in the bed of pain… They are the seed that we let fall in the furrow, sure, from the Faith, that nothing is lost in the economy of Salvation…
This ordeal is a long time to wait… and it keeps getting longer! We feel that “the price is too high…”. But, in the depths of our hearts remains the voice of the Spirit, a conviction, to feel inhabited by Him, who invites us not to fear, because His shadow continues to shelter us and His power will make a new dawn full of Hope bloom, we lean on it and we continue to struggle so that the radiance of His Light shines more in our lives.
The Lord will take us out of this “dense darkness” that “blinds” us, He will convert the water of our pain into the wine of the New Covenant to continue giving life to so many people who are waiting by the side of the road?
Everything invites us to contemplate the Servant of the servants… He, who bore our pains, today we contemplate him more real in every being who suffers or extends a hand to relieve those in need… I attach a video, maybe you already have it, but in case you have not arrived, it is worthwhile and encouraging to see so many people looking for a way to get close to others, to show solidarity and offer what they can. Each one of us offers our little drop of balm that softens the pain, a word or a gesture of closeness that breaks the loneliness… all of us weaving the great net of fraternity that saves our wounded world…
With a big and fraternal embrace, united to each and every one of you from this house Curia accompanies you in our prayers and we remain vigilant with Jesus in his Passion and Death until the day of his Resurrection.
Daría Fernández, rmi