Cuaresma/ Lent 5 C + 4.6.25

 

M. Campbell-Langdell

All Santos, Oxnard

(Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126; Philippians 3:4b-14; John 12:1-8)

 

 

Hold on
Hold on
Keep your hand on the plow, hold on

Hay que mantenerse firmes.

Yo creo que esto es parte del mensaje de las lecturas de hoy, especialmente la epístola.

I think that the readings, the gospel and other readings today, speak of holding on, remaining firm.
Press on!

Holding on even as we encounter difficult times.

Empezamos con Jesús. Jesús se está preparando para el tiempo de la Pascua de los Judíos

Y el sabe que el va a tener un sacrificio en su vida y va a sacrificarse su vida. Pero, no están completamente seguros los discípulos de todo lo que esta pasando.
Jesús is here preparing for the time of the Passover and for his sacrifice. The disciples don’t really know necessarily all that is going to happen yet. And yet, Mary knows. She comes into this setting. And she just knows. In her spirit. That he’s going to die. She gets it in a way that the others don’t. And she falls upon his feet, she’s crying, she’s wiping his feet with her hair. She’s taking this amazingly expensive bottle of perfume and just breaking it open over him. Pouring love on him.
It reminds me of that scene in “Jesus Christ Superstar” (Ian Gillian, Yvonne Elliman, 1973)

“Sleep and I shall soothe you, calm you and anoint you
Myrrh for your hot forehead and
Then you'll feel
Everything's alright, yes, everything's fine
And it's cool and the ointment's sweet
For the fire in your head and feet
Close your eyes, close your eyes
And relax, think of nothing tonight”

María comparte tanto amor con Jesús en este momento. El esta llenado de este amor. El amor compartido en lavar los pies, justo como el va a hacer mas tarde con sus discípulos. Ella lo unge con este aceite, este perfume tan precioso y costoso. Ahora tenemos aceite sagrado que ponemos usar con las personas enfermos o que están muriendo. El esta preparado para su entierro en este momento.
Mary is preparing Jesús for his funeral in this moment. And that’s just all a little too much for Judas. He feels like this is overboard. Not just financially. Because that’s a part of it. But you also get the feeling he is just one of those people who gets the “ick” around death. Who can’t handle it.

Todos conocemos las personas que se espantan con la muerte. Y las personas que saben el costo de las cosas, pero no saben el valor de las cosas, si me entienden.
We all know the people that know what everything costs and yet they seem to know the value of nothing.
Saben lo que cuesta algo, pero no el valor.

We know for example that human life is infinitely valuable. This anointing oil, this perfume, is incredibly valuable. But of even more value is Jesus’ life and his sacrifice. Mary reminds us that there is nothing too good to honor Jesus and his sacrifice.

No hubiera sido ninguna cosa que tenia mas valor que la vida de Jesús. Y por eso, lo que ella hace, no es demasiado extravagante, es un acto de amor.

This is just a sign of love. And that love, I have to believe, it’s what carries him through this time that he is going to go through; through his Passion. Through to the time of crucifixion. The biggest trial of all.

Este amor lo llevara tras el tiempo más difícil de su vida. El esta preparado, no completamente; ninguno esta preparado para esto, pero el esta preparado por el tiempo por venir porque recibe el amor que ella comparte.

Yo pienso que ella muestra como uno puede amar el uno al otro en un tiempo difícil.

I think Mary is showing us how we just keep on loving each other in a difficult time. And how sometimes things may have a cost, but there are different values at stake.

Hay diferentes valores, y no siempre se trata de lo financiero.

There is just something very convicting in our time. In this day and age, we are very focused on stewardship, and it is good to be focused on stewardship, right? As long as you are also remembering the infinite value of human life. Because that’s so much more valuable. Even just the value of, for example, federal workers knowing their worth. Or immigrants not feeling inhuman. It’s of course important to have a careful budget, but how can we truly reflect all of our values in our budget.

¿Como podemos reflejar todos nuestros valores en el presupuesto y mostrar respeto para el valor de cada ser humano, incluyendo los trabajadores federales, los inmigrantes sin papeles y otros?

No solo se trata de ahorrar dinero.

All this being said, there are many of us that feel a little disheartened. There certain things that we can’t control in the world.
Hay cosas que no podemos controlar en el mundo. There are people who are feeling disproportionately affected in these times. I heard a scary story the other day from the organization El Otro Lado that there have been ICE agents telling their contacts that they have good news for them, and when they come to the appointment, they are being deported.

Hay agentes de ICE que están diciendo a las personas “O tenemos buenas noticias, vengan a una cita,” y luego vienen y los deportan. No comparto esto para darles miedo. Si que hay demasiado miedo.

I am not sharing that to sow fear. I know there’s enough fear other already.

No quiero aumentar al miedo.

But I just want to recognize that we are all in different places. That some people are being affected by these situations more than others.

Hay unos que están más afectados que otros.

And I think that’s where we need to see where can we share that extravagant love with others?
Como podemos compartir ese amor extravagante que muestra María a Jesús con los demás?

In our Isaiah passage, the people to whom Isaiah are speaking are in exile in Babylon. They are in captivity. Some folks around us are in exile today.
Hay unos en nuestro país que están en exilio ahora. Y también hay otros que sienten que están en exilio porque no reconozcan su país.

There are different types of exile. Sometimes you are far from your home country. Sometimes even in your home country, you can feel in exile when the country’s situation changes. And it doesn’t seem the same as it used to be.

So the words of hope I think that are helpful for us today, come from the Psalm: “Those who sowed with tears will reap with songs of joy.”

El salmo dice: “Los que sembraron con lágrimas, * con gritos de alegría segarán.”

I also lift up Thailand and Myanmar at this moment. SO many tears. So much loss of life. And we are praying for them. We think of Mary, lavishing Jesus’ feet with her tears, and we pray for Myanmar and Thailand.

Estamos en oración por Tailandia y Myanmar. Y mandamos muchas oraciones y también más ayuda según podemos.  Pensamos en Maria, orando y llorando a los pies de Jesús, y oremos también por Myanmar y Tailandia.

We will also be sending funds as we can. I sent some via International Rescue Committee and hoping ERD can help too.

“Those who sowed with tears will reap with songs of joy.”

 “Los que sembraron con lágrimas, * con gritos de alegría segarán.”

We pray for them to also have that moment of joy before too long. Oremos que ellos tengan un momento de gozo.

Y confiamos, aunque es muy diferente, pero estamos en un momento difícil como país, que también experimentamos el gozo.

And we trust, that although it is very different, but we are in a difficult moment in this country, that we will see joy again. In this Isaiah passage it says that the one who made a way in the sea, or the one who divided the waters of the Red Sea so that the Israelites could pass through, will make a way in the desert. Because the people who have been in Babylon need a way through the desert to make it back to Canaan, to the land of Israel. And in the same way, we trust that, even though we don’t see a way, God is even now making a way for us. We must remain faithful. We have to do our piece.

Dios esta preparándonos un camino en el desierto, justo como hizo un camino para la gente de Israel en el Mar Rojo y hizo un camino del regreso del exilio en Babilonia. El esta preparando un camino para nosotros también ahora, si nos mantenemos firmes. Si esforzamos por alcanzar lo que esta delante. Como dijo el apóstol Pablo.

We must press on just as the Apostle Paul says here. Hay que seguir adelante. Y no solamente por nuestro bien, sino para el bien de toda la gente de Dios.

Let us show hope and live in hope, even when we are living in difficult times. For the sake, not only of ourselves, not for all the people of God. Who are needing to hear that message of hope at this time. Who are feeling afraid. Who are feeling scared.

Pedimos que Dios guie por un tiempo difícil. Que Dios nos hace un camino donde no había camino. Y Que Dios nos abre el camino para una vida abundante y lleno de amor.

So that we would all experience a life of abundant love and full of God’s generosity.

Amen.