THE WORD
Eph 1,1-10 / Lk 11,47-54
Jesus exclaimed: “Woe to you! You build the memorials of the prophets whom your ancestors killed. Consequently, you bear witness and give consent to the deeds of your ancestors, for they killed them you do the building. Therefore, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and persecute’ in order that this generation might be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who died between the altar and the temple building. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood! Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.”
When he left, the scribes and Pharisees began to act with hostility toward him and to interrogate him about many things, for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.
IN OTHER WORDS
In 1991, Father Nerilito “Neri” Dazo Satur, age 28, was murdered while faithfully implementing an advocacy against illegal logging in the Bukidnon Diocese. A year earlier, Fr. Neri had been deputized by DENR to become one of the forest guards leading a church-based anti-logging campaign.
Here’s an excerpt of a blog on this incident: “On October 14th, 1991, Father Neri and a female assistant attended Barangay Guinoyuran’s patron saint esta where Neri offered mass. At a bit past 2PM Father Neri and his assistant remounted his trusted motorcycle to begin the long and arduous trip back to Valencia proper. … three men “walked out to the jungle ahead of him, each carrying M16s… Of fifteen rounds fired, seven met their mark, badly wounding the priest. His assistant, Jacqueline Lunzaga took a single round to the leg. The three gunmen, one of whom was unmasked quickly made their way over to the fallen priest and his assistant. Taking his M16 the unmasked attacker then began beating the priest in the head with it. On the third blow the rifle’s stock broke into pieces due to the force with which it was wielded.”(Raki Ben Ami, http://mindanaofocus.blogspot.com/)
There were killings of prophets in the past, and in the future prophets will continue to be hunted and killed. Such is the reality in this world where evil resides in the hearts of people. In the same manner, Jesus was heading towards his death when he started confronting the scholars of the law, the pharisees and the scribes. The price of going against evil is great. However, without people who fight against the onslaught of evil, greater harm will arise.
- Fr. Lorz Estomo, SVD | SVD Verbum House of Studies, Los Baños, Laguna
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
