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Mercy without justice is not Mercy - Reflection for Week Three of Lent
Romans 5:5 This hope does not disappoint us, for God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit , who is God's gift to us.
An encounter with a faith community of different faith and ethnicity committed to Peace building in a place which often experienced conflict and violence was for me an encounter with God. The place is a place of dialogue and dialogue for them is not just a process. It is a spiritual experience of listening to God, to self, to others and to the creation. The resilience of the people, the deep sense of unity amidst diversity helped build a community of belonging. Aside from being intercultural it is also intergenerational. Visiting the place, is also standing on a holy ground.
In the Gospel of John 4: 4 - 42, Jesus encountered the Samaritan woman. This encounter allowed Jesus to reveal who he is to the woman which leads to the transformation of the woman. The woman became a witness of Jesus and invited her neighbors to see and engaged with him. Jesus is a manifestation of God's mercy to the woman. His mercy and compassion renewed her.
The Samaritan woman in this Gospel represents so many women in our society. Many are deprived of their dignity, their rights and even their life. This is the reason why Catherine McAuley founded the Sisters of Mercy. Even before the Congregation was established, she and her companions helped the women especially the young to gain back their dignity. This is one of the compelling aspects of our mission. Despite the laws and programs to help empower women, gender inequity and equality is still strongly manifested. However, Mercy without justice is not Mercy. So we strive in our own capacity as individuals and as a Congregation to work for justice for the women who are oppressed, deprived, trafficked and experiencing different forms of violence.
May we continue to be bearers of hope in this Lenten season and during this Jubilee Year. We are living in a very fragmented world but we will continue to hope, for hope comes from God.
ENDS
Virgencita A. Alegado is a Religious Sister of Mercy from Mindanao Philippines, belonging to the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas.
She is currently serving as a school head of Holy Cross High School, a diocesan school and managed by the Sisters of Mercy since 1960.
She is a MELF Fellow from Cohort Three.