Lenten Reflection

Palm Sunday, or Passion Sunday in the Philippines, always receives attention in the media. The Catholic Church in the country continues to exert a lot of influence over the people's lives because the Catholic faith is 75%-85% of all religions practiced in a nation that was once under Catholic Spanish colonial rule. Whatever the exact statistic or percentage is, what is certain and easily verifiable through the physical senses, is the Catholic faith's rootedness in the landscape of the entire archipelago.

Despite the things that happen in the politics of the country and of the Church, people continue to love the Church because of their devotions - devotions rooted in family traditions and the traditions of many provinces and islands that dot the entire Philippine archipelago. These devotions are called popular religiosity - religious traditions that have been passed on from generation to generation of Catholic families.

Since the Catholic faith strongly emphasizes the role of the family in the practice of the faith, these strong family ties contribute to the cohesiveness and the strong bonds that connect Catholics - bonds that include extended families, friends, and acquaintances of the family in the political, economic or social order. These friends and acquaintances are often considered by the people a kind of "second family" because of relationships forged through work and profession.

During Lent, but especially during Holy Week, beginning with Passion Sunday, families begin their trip back to the provinces. It is a kind of reunion with family and friends they have known since their childhood and early years. It is in these provinces where all Filipinos get to experience once more the folk religiosity or popular religiosity of the people. They are often expressed in traditional processions, Holy Thursday and Good Friday liturgies that are unique to each one's province, the "Pasyon", Easter vigil liturgical practices that involve big religious statues of the Mater Dolorosa and the Risen Christ (the popular "Salubong"), Holy Week plays and dramas, etc.

Passion Sunday and Holy Week is also the time for people to reorient their work and lives to what is foremost - values that all have been taught since the cradle. It is a time to listen to the homilies of the clergy for moral guidance and how to adopt a Christian attitude in the face of life's vicissitudes. The Christian faith of the people is one factor that contributes to the resilient nature of the Filipino spirit - which is often beset by crises in many sectors. It is amazing to witness how despite all that life has dealt the people, instead of wallowing in abject negativity, they can seek refuge in the faith and devotions of their parents and the moral guidance of the Church.

The history of the Church in the Philippines often paints a picture of a clergy involved in politics. But this is not "all" of the clergy. Many bishops have stressed the importance of spirituality and the wisdom of being non-partisan. Many educated clergy in high positions in the Church often state that as history attests, when the Church becomes partisan, it not only questions what is wrong with the status quo, (which is their moral duty to do so), but when they become party to the political bloc that wins, a spirit of corruption often enters the Church and its members. This is of course secondary to what is important: the commitment to Christ and the building of a kingdom of justice and peace in the work and the life of the country.

Commemoration of Saints (April 9)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Mary of Cleophas, matron
• Waldetrudis, widow
• Hugh of Rouen, bishop
• Gaucherius, abbot [1]

St. Gaucherius (1060-1140 A.D.) was born in France. He opted to live as a hermit in the forests of Limoges when he was 18, and together with a friend, Germond, they attracted many followers. These followers were inspired by the life of the two friends and built hermitages near to theirs. In time, St. Gaucherius organized all these followers into a monastery at Aureil and led them as their abbot. He also founded a convent for women. In both of these religious communities, St. Gaucherius followed the rule of St. Augustine of Hippo. Foremost among the followers of Gaucherius were: Lambert of Angoulême, Faucherus, and Stephen Muret (the founder of Grandmont monastery). St. Gaucherius died when he fell from his horse at 80 years while returning to Aureil from Limoges. He was canonized 54 years later in 1194 A.D. [2][3]

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [April 9]

• St. Eupsychius, Martyr [2]

St. Eupsychius, martyr of Caesarea in Cappadocia, died for the Christian faith in 362 A.D. for leading in the destruction of a pagan temple to the goddess Fortuna, whom the Emperor Julian the Apostate revered. He is venerated as a martyr by the Orthodox Church and his feast is commemorated every April 9 in the Byzantine Calendar [4][5].

References: Books, Websites & AI Overview Search Responses

• [1] Pocket Catholic Dictionary, John A. Hardon
• [2] Dictionary of Saints, John J. Delaney
• [3] Gaucherius, En.Wikipedia.org
• [4] Search Labs AI Overview for the Search query st. eupsychius martyr, Google.com, April 9, 2025
• [5] Martyr Eupsychius of Caesarea, in Cappadocia Commemorated on April 9, Orthochristian.com

5th Sunday of Lent (C)

(Edited) Sunday Reflections (from) Liturgical Years 2011 (A), 2012 (B), and 2013 (C)

5th Sunday of Lent (C), March 17, 2013

Liturgical readings
Isaiah 43:16-21
Psalm 126
Philippians 3:8-14
John 8:1-11

"But from now on, avoid this sin."

The gospel story is about a woman caught in adultery. All seasoned Catholics are familiar with this gospel narrative. But if the text in the story is examined more closely, when Jesus was challenged with this moral case of a woman caught in adultery, notice what the Lord did at first: He did not react; He simply "bent down" and started to trace on the ground with His finger. The scribes and the Pharisees persisted in their questioning. So Jesus stood up and said: "Let the man among you who has no sin be the first to cast a stone at her." Then notice what the Lord did again: He bent down a second time and wrote on the ground. Without saying anything more, His action dispersed the crowd until He was alone with the woman. The Lord then counseled the woman to avoid the sin of adultery from now on.

The Lord took upon Himself our human nature, but He was without sin. His divinity gave Him authority to teach; but He remained humble. He did not raise His voice when He was challenged. And He bent down on the ground twice, tracing at first, and then a second time writing silently with His finger. He only spoke when the scribes and the Pharisees persisted in their questioning. Because of His humility, He raised the level of the crowd's understanding of a morality higher than the Jewish Law on adultery they have always known. By His wisdom and insight into sinful human nature, He applied the Law also to the scribes and Pharisees, and included the judgment of adultery also to them. With that level of consciousness thus raised, and made inclusive to those who held power and authority in the Law, the scribes and the Pharisees realized something in themselves and how the Law should include all. This made all of them and others disperse quietly. And Jesus was left with the woman. He did not condemn the woman, but counseled her to follow a path of repentance and amendment of life.

The Lord raised the morality of His time from the Law of punishment and death, to one of justice and mercy from God for all - including those who hold power and authority. With the old morality, the sinner was not given an opportunity to reform his life and reconcile himself with God, family, work, and community. But Jesus shows all that there is such a path to reconciliation with God and neighbor: the path of humility and forgiveness that can be sourced from His Person and mission. His "bending down" twice to ransom the soul of the woman caught in adultery seems like a prefiguration that can lead us to understand His great sacrifice on the Cross - an act of God's love and mercy for all humanity who have sinned at one time or another. This mystery of God's love is one that does not only condemn, but shows a path to salvation through Christ His Son.