Tom Thomas –
“Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance, a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbour to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” Lk 10::30-37
The parable of the Good Samaritan with relevance to the digital highway that most of us are on nowadays is explained beautifully in “Towards Full Presence, “ A Pastoral reflection brought out by the Vatican’s Dicastery of Communication recently.
I found this reflection very meaningful as I grapple with what is my reaction to the crisis in Manipur today as a Christian.
In particular, this section from the reflection calls out to me:
“As we have seen, we travel the digital highways alongside friends and complete strangers, striving to avoid many pitfalls along the way, and we find ourselves becoming aware of the wounded on the side of the road. At times, these wounded may be other people. Sometimes we are the wounded ones. When this happens, we pause, and through the life we have received in the sacraments, which is at work in us, this awareness becomes encounter: from characters or images on a screen, the wounded man takes on the contours of a neighbour, a brother or sister, and indeed, the Lord, who said, “Whatever you do to one of the least of these… you did it to me” (Mt 25:40). And if at times we are also the ones who are wounded, the Samaritan bending over us with compassion also bears the face of the Lord, who became our neighbour, bending over suffering humanity to tend to our wounds.
In either case, what might have begun as a chance meeting or distracted presence on social media platforms becomes people present to one another in an encounter filled with mercy. This mercy allows us to taste, already now, the Kingdom of God, and the communion that has its origin in the Holy Trinity: the true “promised land.”
This causes me to pause at one of the numerous messages in my WhatsApp feed. There is a get-together organised by the Catholic Bishop’s Conference for India CBCI Commission for Women under the aegis of the Women’s Commission, Archdiocese of Bangalore. It is a rally for peace in Manipur assembling for a couple of hours this weekend at the Cathedral. What difference will this make is my first reaction? Then, the import of the Pastoral Reflection sinks a bit deeper. I cannot let a situation to do something for those affected by the violence pass by, even if it is just to pray.
Can I set aside my schedule on that day for a bit and join the gathering to collectively pray for a peaceful solution to this senseless violence, especially towards women? Can I be the Good Samaritan that stops to care for the afflicted instead of just passing on the way? These thoughts swirl in my mind, and I think, even if I cannot do anything, wherever I am let me pray for peace in this situation. That violence will cease in Manipur and peace will prevail.
The timeless words of St Francis of Assisi come to mind:
Peace Prayer of St Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled,
as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.
August 2nd is the Feast of the Dedication of church of the Portiuncula. This day is also the day of the Pardon of Assisi. St. Francis wishing to send everybody to heaven asked the Pope to grant a plenary indulgence to those who make their confession and go to Mass and receive the Eucharist, recite the Our Father and the Apostles Creed, and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father. A plenary indulgence is a remission before God for the temporal punishment due to sins. We may obtain this special privilege from noon on August 1st to midnight on August 2nd.
Praying especially to St Francis of Assisi, amongst our other efforts could help bring peace to the situation in Manipur. St Francis, please intercede for us. At least through this exercise, I cast aside any element of violence from within myself if not from without!