Homily on the Fifth Sunday of Lent, 17 March 2024, Maryville Subd., Talamban
Nine years ago, I found myself for the first time in the country of Pakistan. I was sent there by my superior to pay a short visit to our confreres working there as missionaries. Just to let you know, Christians make up only one to two percent of the population of Pakistan which is 96% Muslim, making it the second largest Muslim country in the world. Nevertheless in spite of the many odds, the Salesians have been allowed to open two schools for the education of poor youth, one in city of Lahore and another one in Quetta.
While I was there in Don Bosco Lahore I met with a group of students preparing themselves to come to Cebu for the next level of their formation as Salesian aspirants. I also had a chance to visit some families and talk with the parents of our Pakistani candidates. In Don Bosco Quetta I was asked to give an inspirational talk to another group of students, some of whom where Afghan refugees. Within a few days I was able to see how big and challenging the work that the Salesians have been doing there for the past two decades both for the Catholics and the Muslims alike. And I thank God that my five-day visit of that mission land had been safe, peaceful and enriching.
One week later, however, when I was already back in Cebu, we got the shocking news that somewhere in the City of Lahore a certain young man died in an explosion caused by a suicide a bomber. His name is Akash Bashir, and he was a graduate of Don Bosco Technical Institute, in Lahore. But how did he get involve in that violent attack?
After completing his studies in Don Bosco, Akash volunteered to serve as a security guard every Sunday in St John’s Catholic Church in Yohannabad. On March 15, 2015, the day of sacrifice came. That Sunday morning, while the Holy Mass was going on, Akash, who was on duty at the gate, tried to stop a stranger who was wearing a jacket and was forcing his way to enter through the church gate. While Akash was doing all that he could to push the intruder away, the suicide bomber suddenly blew himself up. And with the bomber Akash died on the spot. He was only 19-years old. A few others who were close to the area of the scene were injured but certainly the lives of around 2,000 Catholic worshipers inside that church were spared that day. Could we consider the death of Akash Bashir a real sacrifice?
Brothers and sisters we are now celebrating the Fifth Sunday of Lent. In seven days time we shall enter the Holy Week, known as the holiest days of the liturgical calendar of the Church. The gospel passage we have heard today focuses on Jesus’ awareness that his days in the public ministry were already numbered, and so he was feeling certain heaviness in his heart. The religious leaders had frequently criticized him in spite of the Good News he tried to proclaim and all the good deeds he tried to do. And he knew very well that they had been looking for a way to get rid of him. But was there anything Jesus could have done in order to avoid being put to death? We could feel how much anguish there was in his heart when he said “I am troubled now. Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour.”
Jesus had all the power in his hands to stop his untimely death by execution on the cross. In fact he had managed to escape many times from their attempts to kill him especially in the last three years of his public ministry. But this time Jesus chose not to use that power for his own benefit and advantage. He chose rather to keep his focus on the mission for which God the Father has sent him. The truth is while all the people in this world were born to live, he alone was born to die. His mission was very clear to him right from the very start: to be put to death on the cross so that sinners may be saved from eternal death and live for all eternity in heaven.
Jesus himself believed and was convinced that it is only by passing through death’s door that the portals of life may be opened for everyone to enter and live forever. And this he taught clearly by presenting nature as a perfect example. He said “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” Even children in elementary school know this very well and have proven it to be true by the experiments and projects they have done in class.
And so Jesus continues to teach us today as emphatically as he did in the past, that those among us who love our life too much will run the risk of losing it. But those among us who hate our own lives in this world, because we love Christ and our neighbor more than we love ourselves, will preserve it for eternal life.
You see, the Lenten liturgy today has been arranged to help us reflect more deeply on how closely we are following Jesus during this period of Lent. Even the external appearance of our chapel today is designed for this purpose. If you notice all images and statues in this chapel and in all other church are now covered or veiled until the beginning of the Easter Vigil. Only the sanctuary crucifix remain fully exposed until Holy Thursday evening. Why do we have to veil or cover sacred images that are beautifully designed to raise our hearts and minds towards heaven?
First, this traditional practice of veiling is a strong reminder for all of us to seriously get ready because the coming week ahead of us is the Church’s final and most proximate preparation for the celebration of the Paschal Triduum. At the same time veiling these images (and later on also the crucifix) actually heightens our sense of longing for the solemn feast of the Lord’s Resurrection.
Secondly, the act of veiling what our eyes can see enables us to focus more on the words that our ears will hear, especially when the passion narratives are proclaimed next week during Passion Sunday.
Thirdly by veiling these images, we are asked that all our devotions be shifted to and centered on Christ alone, rather than on Mary and the saints represented by those images. It is an important reminder to keep our focus strictly on Jesus especially on his passion, death and resurrection.
Now, in the light of God’s Word that we have heard today, let us reflect more deeply. Is our love and devotion to Christ genuine? Or is it false and centered on ourselves? Do we serve others selflessly, fearlessly and generously giving all our time, talent and treasures? Or do we do good only when it is convenient for us and only when we can find benefit for ourselves? Are we ready to do anything for the one we truly love, even to the point of suffering, and laying down our life when that day comes?
Allow me to end by bringing you back to the life story of Akash Bashir. One day his mother, who was always anxious about what could happen to her son, asked him to just quit his volunteerism and stop standing at the church’s main gate. But her insistent plea seemed to have been falling on deaf ears. Her son remained determined with what he had always been doing. In fact one day her son Akash told her that he cared nothing at all about his own life, for he just wanted to make sure that people are safe and secure inside the church while they worship God on Sunday.
We believe God finally accepted the sacrifice of this young man when he stood against the suicide bomber in order to save the lives of thousands of brethren worshiping in church that Sunday. Following what Jesus taught, he laid down his life for the Christian community he loved to serve. The Gospel of Christ is truly alive even to this day “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.”
The heroic act of Akash Bashir is definitely an inspiring example for us of what it means to follow Jesus even at the cost of one’s very own life. Although he was only a teen-ager he already merited to wear the crown of martyrdom.
Let us pray for the Christians in Pakistan as well those living in areas where Christians are being persecuted even today for their faith. Let us also pray for ourselves that we too may be found faithful to Christ day by day and soon reach the highest level of true love capable of self-sacrifice. GiGsss!
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