Holy Week Thoughts 2018

Why? Why? Why?

Saint Mark retells the last hours of Jesus on the cross by simply telling us that a few minutes before He breathed His last, He said: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Saint Mark’s story of the passion and death is brief, direct and forthright. It was as human as can be.

In this passion and death story written by Saint Mark, the last question of Jesus was “Why.” He was begging for reasons.

My God, my God … I obeyed; you abandoned me. I proclaimed your greatness; you allowed me to be shamed. Father, I healed them in your name; you now leave me in great pain. I loved them as you loved me; now you leave me alone. I trusted them with the secrets of heaven; now you leave me naked, mocked and laughed at. I called them friends, not slaves; now I look like, not even a slave, but like a wretched worm.

Why, Father?

He heard no answer. He received no reason. He got no explanation. Jesus asked “Why?” and his question was met with silence. No reply, just silence. This is the mystery of the Father’s love.

Centuries later, Blaise Pascal will say, “The heart has reasons that reason does not know.” Indeed, that was what happened at Calvary. The logic of human reason failed to grasp the logic of the Father’s love.

Love is a mystery. Love is not illogical. Love is beyond logic. There was no reply even if there was much love.

Nineteen years before Calvary, when Jesus was only 12 years old, Saint Luke documented the first words of Jesus recorded in the Bible: “Why were you looking for me?”

His first word was “Why” and His last word was also “Why.”

Why were you looking for me? Were you afraid you lost me? Were you afraid to be punished for being negligent parents? Were you afraid I could have fallen into criminals’ hands? Were you looking for me so I can give you the joy of having a child? When children lose parents, they are called orphans; when parents lose an only child like me, there is no word to describe the loss. Were you afraid?

As at Calvary, so was it in the temple when Jesus was 12. He received no answer from Mary and Joseph. His question was met with silence. Mary and Joseph could not understand.

The logic of human reason failed to grasp the logic of the Father’s love. Love is a mystery. Love is not illogical. Love is
beyond logic.

Lord, do you not care? Why are you not doing anything to help us? Why are you not saying anything if only to assure us? Why are you not doing anything to stop the killings and the stealing and the vulgarity? Why do you allow lies to fill the air, fake news to fill the minds of the gullible, and the innocent to continue to suffer? Why is evil winning and the honest enduring torture and shame? We pray, and you do not answer.

Lord, are you deaf? Do you not care for us anymore? Are you punishing us? Are you really now tolerant of evil that we used to fight together?

Lord, why?

I do not know why. Lord, your love is a mystery. Lord, your love is not illogical; it is just too much to grasp.

I will not wait for any answer. On the cross you taught me to ask but not expect any answer. Love is a mystery.

You spoke to me today … The heart has reasons that reason cannot understand.

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Socrates B. Villegas is archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan in Pangasinan.