PAROQUIA – Nssa Senhora do ROSÁRIO
Residência Nssa. Sra. de Fátima 17 March, 2025 LV:1
Trav. Carlos Pontes, 171
62.900-000 Russas, Ceará http://www.egfbenya.com
BRASIL e-mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Dear Benefactors, Family, Colleagues, Friends and Collaborators,
His arrival was humble, simple, lowly yet quite public. It included Jews and non-Jews. As an infant He was threatened with death. Jesus Christ was born into OBLATION. The major part of his life was hidden, subtle, relatively quiet and quite common; geographically regional.
The last three to six years of his life were intense and highly public. His goal was clear and exact;… our Salvation. He and He alone could realize that Salvation. He had a plan, an agenda. He called to himself disciples, established a hierarchy among them and formed them as ministers, extensions of Himself. Their training, education and formation was brutally intense. Many desisted. One denied Him. One betrayed Him. Yet a public ministry took form. The last part of that ministry was tumultuous, fraught with misunderstanding, threats, false accusations against Him and constant danger. Born into OBLATION that oblation was becoming ever-more intensive.
The Messiah had been promised for our Redemption and that Redemption was taking form. Few realized it. Few wanted to realize it. The Promise as a hope was comfortable and convenient as a “wait”, maintained alive through the centuries by prophets dedicated to the prophesy. These also were poorly received. As a promise that “wait” presented a certain stability of reference, a solidity. Suddenly the Promise changed, it transformed to Dynamic with the arrival of the Messiah. The “wait” had ended.
If humble simplicity characterized the major part of His early life, intense sobriety was the distinct mark of those last 3 years. A promise was in the process of being kept.
The final 24 hours of that oblation, of His life, defined our Salvation through His Passion. The Dynamic of Redemption succeeded the Promise of the Messiah. That dynamic proceeded in steps as sharpness of intensity multiplied in those last 24 hours.
Temptation to desist, withdraw, escape and hide were continuous. The temptation in the Garden of Gethsemane is the best known. Temptation continued as indicated by the three falls as He carried the cross. Temptation through the thief crucified at his left (to save Himself and those crucified with Him iff He is the messiah). At the end a temptation to despair arose as He asked if the Father has forsaken Him. Success was in no way guaranteed. He overcame all temptation. Our Salvation emerges solid and immortal.
We celebrate that Salvation and the Glory of His Resurrection as we commemorate the entire Pascal Mystery in the Easter Solemnity. Lenten preparation runs its course. I invite you and your families to join us in spirit for this solemn commemoration of the Lenten-Easter Season celebration. In praise and gratitude
in the Love of the “ONE”, Jesus Christ
Pe. Ed Benya, S.J.