April 01, Saturday, the Fifth week of Lent
Ezekiel 37: 21-28; John 11:45-57
Jesus is the sacrificial lamb who gave his life to save many. Geary and Mary Jane adopted Andrea when she was only a few weeks old. Andrea was born with severe cerebral palsy and she needed assistance for the rest of her life. The family was living in Florida in 1993 when they boarded the Sunset Limited train to visit relatives in Mississippi. Andrea who was 11 years old then was thrilled on her first train journey.
Travelling at 72 miles per hour the train reached a bridge and jumped the track at the spot where the rails were bent by a barge collision. The engine flew across the lake. Two passenger coaches also fell together with other coaches. Forty-seven people died and 100 others were hurt. Andrea the handicapped girl was saved. Ivory, a Texas oil industry worker who helped Andrea has a theory about why she was saved. She recalls “The father was being consumed by the water and he handed the handicapped Andrea up to be saved, losing his life in the meantime. He gave up his life for his imperfect child. One man gives his life so that his daughter might live to give life to many. The father’s death had a meaning in giving life to his daughter.
In the gospel according to St John, chapter 11 verse 50, Caiaphas said “You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed.” Here is the prophecy that Jesus would save the whole nation through his death. Although it was a plot to kill Jesus, because of his popularity, which he achieved through the signs and wonders he worked, it was indeed God’s plan to fulfill his mission of salvation.
Ultimately God is in control of our lives. God is able to write straight lines even through crooked lines. Our sufferings have a meaning in God’s eternal plan of salvation. There is a silver lining behind every cloud we see. Every misfortune is an opportune moment for God.
May our disappointments become appointments with God.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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