THE DEMANDS OF THE COVENANT WITH THE LORD

DEUTERONOMY 24:17-20

"You shall not violate the rights of the alien or of the orphan, nor take the clothing of a widow as a pledge. For remember, you were once slaves in Egypt, and the Lord, your God, ransomed you from there; that is why I command you to observe this rule. When you reap the harvest in your field and overlook a sheaf there, you shall not go back to get it; let it be for the alien, the orphan or the widow, that the Lord, your God, may bless you in all your undertakings. When you knock down the first of your olive trees, you shall not go over the branches a second time; let what remains be for the alien, the orphan and the widow."

After leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, God made a covenant with them. On God's part, the obligation was for God to be Israel's sovereign, to love the people, and to dwell among them. The Israelites, for their part, were to observe God's commandments. The reading from Deuteronomy sets out one of the oldest ethical codes demanded by God. It underscores both the nature of the relationship between God and the people, and the unequivocal nature of the demand.

The code highlights three groups of people in the Israelite world who are the most poor and vulnerable: widows, orphans, and aliens. In the ancient society, women counted for nothing (cf. Matthew 14:21), and when a woman married she became the property of her husband and moved into his clan. In the event of his death, the widow belonged to no one; she was penniless, and became virtually homeless unless taken in by a brother-in-law or relative. The orphan, similar to the widow, belonged to no one and came under no one's care. Aliens, by definition, were foreigners in the land away from their tribe and did not belong to anyone, with no home or family for support. The characteristic common to each of these persons is that they become the poorest members of society by virtue of circumstance.

God's solicitation for this three-part grouping of impoverished people--widows, orphans, and aliens (including immigrants, refugees, and strangers)--dominate the Hebrew scriptures. (See Deuteronomy 10:17-18; 24:17; 26-12; 27:19; Leviticus 19:9-10; 23:22; Isaiah 1:17; Jeremiah 7:5-6; Job 22:9).

It is Isaiah who lifts up God's promise to those who care for the poor: "Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; clothing the naked . . . Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed . . . Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: 'Here I am!'" (Isaiah 58:7-9).

LA IRA (3era parte)

FUERZA DE CAMBIO

Del lado positivo, la energía de este sentimiento tan poderoso puede convertirse en una fuerza que produzca cambios. Podría reevaluar mis expectativas, y darme cuenta de que los niños no son perfectos y que de vez en cuando me van a dar un dolor de cabeza. También mi frustración me podría motivar a pasar más tiempo con ellos ayudándolos con sus tareas, tener una conversación con sus maestros, o dejar atrás mi deseo de que ellos obtengan la excelencia que yo nunca alcancé. Es decir, la emoción de la ira debe ser canalizada de un modo positivo, que llame la atención pero no dañe a nadie.
Cuando ignoramos el sentimiento de ira o lo negamos pensando que sentirla es ya un pecado, es cuando permitimos que la ira nos controle y se convierta en una fuerza negativa. Cuando no le prestamos atención, la ira se convierte en violencia o agresividad.

Violencia externa e interna
La violencia más obvia, la más fácil de identificar, es la externa o dirigida hacia afuera. Entre estos comportamientos encontramos la violencia física y verbal, los chismes, la indiferencia y el control a través del silencio.
La violencia interna, o dirigida hacia adentro, es la más difícil de reconocer. Cuando es “activa” puede causar todo tipo de adicciones: drogas, alcohol, comida, juego, trabajo, etc. Incluso en casos extremos, nos puede llevar hasta el suicidio. Cuando esta violencia interna es pasiva, sufrimos de depresión y nos enfermamos más a menudo.

EARTH DAY

Earth Day -- April 22

Earth Day, celebrated in the US on April 22, is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-Wisconsin) as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year. This date is Spring in the Northern Hemisphere and Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.

"The earth is in greater peril than ever, but there is also unprecedented opportunity to build a new future. Earth Day has the power to bring about historic advances in climate policy, renewable energy and green jobs and catalyze millions who make personal commitments to sustainability - “A Billion Acts of Green” – mobilizing the power of people to create change by taking small steps in our homes, our schools and our businesses that add up to an enormous collective action." www.earthday.net/earthday2010

Earth Day 2010 // Bloggers Unite

Earth Day 2010 // Bloggers Unite

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IN THE IMAGE OF GOD

Thirteen months ago today, my youngest niece gave birth to identical twin girls. The last months of the pregnancy were difficult for mother and babies, but finally on March 10, 2009 the twins were born. Because they were premature, they stayed in the hospital for a few weeks. During that time, I had a lot of space to reflect and contemplate the new life just begun.

This picture is one of the many we took, but it was also the most significant. The two sisters were placed for the first time in the same incubator facing each other. To us it seemed like a mirror reflecting back the same face.

To me, this is who we are before God. Made in God's image, we can look in the mirror and see God, and God can look at us and see Godself. Because of the power of Creation and even more of the Incarnation, we all carry inside the sacred spark of the life of God. In many cases this resemblance is hard to see, but the twins revealed to me what IS and often gets clouded by my poor vision.

As time passed, each baby showed their own specific idiosyncrasies. One seems to be more outgoing and extroverted, while the other observes and analyzes before she jumps into a new situation. Yet they continue to look so much alike that their mother put ruby earrings on one and emerald on the other; this way we all know who is who.

Our relationship with God is the same. I do not know who wears which color, but it should be difficult for those who know us to see any difference between our "face" and the "face" of God.

As we grow older our external features change, we get taller, maybe heavier... but our internal face continues to be the same: the face of God.

During this Easter Season I hope that we can always look in the mirror and see God, and that if we ever see a different face we would go back to the picture and remember who we really are!

RESURRECTION?

Today is Holy Saturday and tomorrow Christians all over the earth will celebrate Easter; Christ is Risen and the time of prayer, fasting and alms giving is over. Or is it?

It seems to me that this year is different. We are waging several wars, the unemployment rate is out of the charts, people are losing their homes, our civic leaders are fighting a war of their own and they seem to care more about politics than about the common good they are expected to foster.

I turn to my faith for strength. For heaven's sake, the scandals appear in the headlines of all major newspapers all over the world. "The Pope should resign!" "The list of priests who have abused children continue to grow and the silence of the leaders is frightening."

What is the meaning of Easter in this mess?

It is my belief that this crisis has brought about a rude, but healthy awakening in our church:

- We need to put our trust back in the Spirit to guide us.
- We need to reclaim the spiritual power that we (lay people) surrendered to the clergy many centuries ago and start working with them and not for them. We are in this together!
- We must rediscover who the center of our faith is.
- We need to assume more responsibility in the religious and the civic societies.
- We need to stand for the truth.
- We need to be a prophetic presence in today’s church and world.

I choose to believe that the Spirit of God will guide us as we continue to live the Gospel values.

Yes, we can celebrate Easter which brings us the same message as the Incarnation: God is with us. God is not out there somewhere waiting to reward us in heaven one day; God is here, in the middle of this mess, suffering with us, dying with us, and bringing us together to the dawn of a new day.

A blessed new beginning to all!