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TRÓCAIRE
FROM THE ASHES OF WAR
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AWUT AND AJAH WERE STRANGERS WHEN THEY LOST THEIR HOMES AND THEIR HUSBANDS TO SOUTH SUDAN'S BRUTAL WAR. TODAY, WITH TRÓCAIRE'S HELP, THESE BEST OF FRIENDS ARE WORKING TO REBUILD THEIR LIVES.
BY DAVID O'HARE
In December 2013 a civil war broke out in South Sudan between rival political factions. Almost 400,000 people were killed during the war. One in every three people in South Sudan – about 3.6 million people – fled their homes and remain displaced or living as refugees in neighbouring countries.
Awut and Ajah are two women who present the very human face of this vast displacement, and their story is featured as part of this year's Trócaire Lenten Appeal 2021. The two women survived the war, but every day remains a battle. A battle to earn money. A battle to grow food. A battle to pay for their children's school. These remarkable women were strangers when they lost their homes and their husbands to South Sudan's brutal war. Today, they are the closest of friends. Far away from the villages they once called home, the two are working together to rebuild from the ashes of war.
Awut still finds it hard to talk about the time she feared herself and her five children would die stranded in the dangerous bushland, trying to flee the war. "The experience of fleeing was horrible," she says. "We suffered a lot in the bush with hunger and thirst. The children and I trekked for long days and nights without food or water. The children's feet were swollen. I forced the children to drink their own urine just so they wouldn't die of thirst."
She was alone with her five children. She had no home. No money. No food. She arrived into the town of Malek scared, hungry and fearful. But in this very special place, she found what she thought she had lost forever: love, hope and the welcoming arms of strangers. "I arrived in Malek and told them I was fleeing the war," she says. "The people here welcomed us. They gave us food and some land."
HUNGRY MONTHS
It was March when Awut and her family arrived, a time of year known as 'the hungry months' when the last harvest is exhausted but the new one yet to bear crops. People in Malek had little of their own, but what they had they shared with this widowed mother of five. "People had to feed on wild fruits," she remembers. "Then Trócaire came in and started providing help. This help changed our lives. The people gave my family land, and Trócaire gave us seeds. Now I plant my own crops. I am working hard and providing for my family. Trócaire also helped us begin a savings and loan group. Women in the village contribute money each month. It helps a lot."
Awut found a new life in this welcoming community where people fleeing war and suffering are welcomed and supported.
Soon, she had a chance to pass this love and support onto others.
Ajah arrived into Malek after the war destroyed her village. She had eight children and a husband who was very ill. Awut knew this was her opportunity to support Ajah
just as others had supported her. "She welcomed us and settled us next to her," says Ajah. "On the first day, she allowed me to share her plates and utensils. She gave me food to start up and settle in. I had nothing. So she tried to help me and my family."
SUPPORT
Awut and Ajah came from different backgrounds and regions, but have been brought together by the tragedy of war. Today, they are best friends. "I am thankful to her," says Ajah. "She lifted me when I was in need, when my husband was terribly sick, and I had nothing. She accommodated me and provided for my family and me until I picked up. We sit together and discuss ways of life. We share a lot. When she is down, I lift her up and vice versa. She is a very dear friend. We help each other at the times of need."
Awut agrees and says the people of Malek's determination to help each other has allowed them to survive. "We share everything we have," she says. "Ajah and I do everything together. We farm together and make sure we have enough to support our families. We make sure our kids stay together and live in harmony. We have to show humility. As displaced people, it is good to join hands and work out ways to survive together. Most importantly: always stay in peace. It is my desire for people to live in peace without conflict. Let's live as one people and one world."
Trócaire has provided seeds, tools and shelter to help the people of Malek. It has given people like Ajah and Awut a chance to rebuild their lives, but so many challenges remain. "We work hard, but it is difficult when the rains fail," says Ajah. "I am a widow with eight kids. It is difficult. I try hard, but I can't always provide school fees, shoes, uniforms, and other school requirements. That is why they stay at home without school. It is a struggle, but I have hope for my children."
Awut and Ajah were once fearful for the future, but the love and support shown to them has given them hope. This Lent, support for Trócaire will help Awut, Ajah and many more like them put the daily struggle for survival behind them.
The UK government will match, pound for pound, all public donations to the Lenten Appeal 2021 in Northern Ireland up to a maximum of £2 million.
To find out more about Trócaire's 2021 Lenten Appeal or to make a donation, visit www.trocaire.org or call 0800 912 1200 (NI)/1850 408 408 (ROI).
REALITY CHECK
PETER McVERRY SJ
THE ANTI-IMMIGRANT AND RACIST SENTIMENTS OF THE FAR-RIGHT MOVEMENT ARE ENTIRELY AT ODDS WITH THE VALUES OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES.
In March 2019, a former hotel in Roosky, County Roscommon was damaged in an arson attack, for the second time. The building was intended for use by the Department of Justice as a direct provision centre, to house 80 asylum seekers.
Local people were opposed to the idea. They stressed they were not anti-immigrant but had legitimate concerns. They wanted the building to be used again as a hotel, to bring business back into an area they claimed had been neglected by the Government. They also believed that the small town could not cope with a large group of 80 asylum seekers, as local schools and health services were already overstretched. Nor were they consulted about the proposal.
Some were opposed to the whole concept of direct provision centres, which have been widely criticised by human rights groups and the Christian churches as inhumane, and emotionally and psychologically damaging for those residing in them.
However, local people were not involved in the arson attacks. The blame was laid at the feet of the far-right movement, outsiders who attached themselves to the local protests.
What unites far-right movements around the globe is opposition to immigration. Anti-immigrant sentiment has grown in many countries, such as the US, UK, France, Hungry, Italy, Netherlands, Brazil and elsewhere, which has allowed the far-right movement to gain significant momentum and political support. This antiimmigrant stance has been amplified by the arrival in Europe of refugees fleeing the turmoil in the Middle East and instability in some African countries, and in the US by the arrival of large numbers of immigrants fleeing poverty and violence in some countries in South America.
This anti-immigrant sentiment is based on the perceived threat to a country's national identity, culture and values. The principle of national identity is elevated to a basic human right, the 'right to a homeland', which takes priority over the principle of universal human rights, to which the Christian churches subscribe. For example, the anti-immigration policies of Viktor Orban, Hungary's prime minister, which have been strongly condemned by the pope as unchristian, are based on the perverse notion that immigration will destroy the country's Christian heritage! Pope Francis is clear that such anti-immigrant and racist sentiments are entirely at odds with the values of the Christian churches. Everyone, regardless of race, religion, colour, or gender, has the same dignity as children of God. Before we are Irish or Syrian or Somalian, we are all members of the same family, namely the human race. "No one will ever openly deny that they (migrants) are human beings, yet in practice, by our decisions and the way we treat them, we can show that we consider them less worthy, less important, less human. For Christians, this way of thinking and acting is unacceptable, since it sets certain political preferences above deep convictions of our faith: the inalienable dignity of each human person regardless of origin, race or religion, and the supreme law of fraternal love." (Fratelli Tutti, paragraph 39)
In his most recent encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis once again returns to this theme that all people, without exception, are our brothers and sisters, and deserve "a love that transcends the barriers of geography and distance" (Fratelli Tutti, paragraph 1).
Pope Francis quotes the parable of the Good Samaritan. Jews and Samaritans were not even on talking terms with each other, kept apart by an invisible, cultural wall. But in this parable, the Samaritan broke down the wall to reach out to the 'other', the Jewish victim of violence.
The far-right movement uses social media to promote its views and to gain new supporters. It also attaches itself to legitimate protest movements, such as that in Roosky, to gain legitimacy and show itself to be on the 'side of the people'.
Fortunately, so far, the far-right movement has not had much political success in Ireland. Perhaps this is because the Republic of Ireland's national identity has been forged by an oppressed people. But there is no room for complacency. In Ireland, there is a deep-rooted anti-Traveller racism, and a hidden racism expressed in the view that 'we should look after our own'.
We need to ensure that such attitudes do not find political support in Ireland, as they have done so successfully in many other countries.
Shannon Key West Hotel in Rooskey
For more information or to support the Peter McVerry Trust: www.pmvtrust.ie info@pmvtrust.ie +353 (0)1 823 0776
A model reconstruction of the temple in Jerusalem
DESTROY THIS TEMPLE! Western or 'Wailing' Wall, and some archways will establish will no longer be animal sacrifice MARCH In the Synoptic Gospels, connecting it to one of the hills of Jerusalem, but worship "in spirit and in truth", as he will 07 the cleansing of the temple takes place during the final created a street along which were shops and market stalls for pilgrims' convenience. In reveal to the Samaritan woman (John 4:24). The religious leaders demand to know his week of Jesus' life. John has addition to souvenirs, the most common objects authority for acting in this way. In John's Gospel, THIRD SUNDAY placed it closer to the on sale were the doves required for sacrifice. words often have a double meaning. By Jesus'
OF LENT beginning of his gospel. Only wealthy worshippers could afford larger time, the rebuilding of the temple begun by Both the Synoptics and sacrificial animals, such as sheep or oxen. Herod the Great had been going on for over John agree that it is the first public act Jesus Different kinds of coins circulated in Israel 40 years and was still incomplete. Jesus' words, performs in Jerusalem. It will help to consider this and pilgrims brought their own currency with "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will story in two parts. First, there is the account of them. The temple tax had to be paid with raise it up" might be taken as the words of a an incident in the temple (13-16). This incident one particular coin, the Tyrian tetradrachma, deranged madman and that's how the Jews is followed by a confrontation with the Jewish so money changers were kept busy. Although understand them. The narrator explains the religious authorities who ask for a sign to justify the temple incident is often described as 'the misunderstanding to the reader – the new his action. This confrontation is unique to John. cleansing of the temple', its real purpose lies temple is the temple of Jesus' body. Even his In the other gGospels, the temple authorities deeper. Jesus' action is not simply cleaning up the disciples are unable to understand what it are horrified at Jesus' action and determined temple or a protest at the high prices charged. means. Only in the church, after the resurrection, to bring him to account for it, but only in John The violence of overturning tables and causing will they grasp the full import of the words. will Jesus engage with them in a controversy the animals to stampede is better seen as an act about his action. of judgement on the temple, a statement that it
Substantial parts of the Jerusalem Temple has ceased to manifest the presence of God. The survived its destruction by the Romans in 70AD. temple figures more prominently in John than Herod the Great planned to build his temple in any of the other gospels. For John, Jesus is the on a large platform of compacted earth and New Temple, the place where the glory of God rubble. Its remaining wall, known today as the now dwells, and worship of the community he
Today’s Readings
Ex 20:1-17; Ps 18; 1 Cor 1:22-25; Jn 2:13-25
THE SON OF MAN MUST BE
MARCH LIFTED UP
14 John's Gospel has been described as "a gospel of encounters". One of FOURTH SUNDAY the most important
OF LENT encounters is between Jesus and a Jewish elder called Nicodemus. Nicodemus knows that Jesus is a teacher sent by God who is authenticated by the signs he does (John 3:2), but he struggles to understand the inner mystery of his identity. Towards the end of the dialogue, Jesus proceeds to reveal the heart of the Gospel. Words in John often have a wide variety of meanings, and the evangelist plays with them to convey the deeper meaning of his message.
The Son of Man is a term that occurs in all the gospels. It could mean something as simple as 'that fellow there' or 'someone', the equivalent of the Irish phrase mo dhuine. It can also refer to other biblical figures: the prophet Ezekiel was addressed by God as 'son of man' more than 90 times; a heavenly figure, "one like a Son of Man", appears in the Book of Daniel (Dan 7:13). In the gospels, it is used only for Jesus, especially as the suffering Son of Man who undergoes the passion.
The verb 'lift up', when used with Son of Man, also has a range of meanings. First, it might just mean the physical act of lifting something up, but, more specifically, it has the sense of being raised on a cross. It can mean to exalt or honour. The prophet Isaiah had spoken of a mysterious figure, the Suffering Servant who would "be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high" (Is 52:13). Taken together, the raising up of the Son of Man refers to both the crucifixion of Jesus and his vindication by God who raised him from the dead.
Moses and the bronze serpent refers to an episode during Israel's desert wandering. Not for the first time, the people complained about how God was treating them. "The people spoke against God and against Moses, 'Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.' Then the LORD sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people so that many Israelites died" (Num 21:5-6). When the people repent, God instructs Moses to make a bronze serpent and to set it on a pole so that anyone who is bitten might look at it and live. At first glance, it appears to be a strange image for the cross, but a moment's reflection will show how it combines both the horror of crucifixion and the life-giving nature of the death of Jesus.
A banner with 'John 3:16' sometimes appears among the crowds at sporting events. It is a reference to a key verse in today's reading that in some ways sums up the essence of the Gospel: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life (Jn 3:16)." Judgement and eternal life are not reserved for the distant future. Both are present realities and are offered based on faith in the Son. Jesus, the light of the world, provokes people into making an option for light or for darkness.
Today’s Readings
1 Chron 36:14-23; Ps 136; Eph 2:4-10; Jn 3:14-21
MARCH 21 MY SOUL IS TROUBLED! Today's Gospel begins by mentioning some Greeks who ask Philip to help them see Jesus and Philip FIIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT turns to Andrew. Who were these mysterious Greeks of whom we hear no more? They were probably Greek-speaking Jews from the Diaspora who have come to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem. After the inhabitants of Galilee and Jerusalem and the Samaritans (Ch 4), they represent the last part of the scattered flock of Israel that the Good Shepherd has come to gather. This moment marks the end of the ministry of Jesus in word and deed, and he recognises that the hour has come for the Son of Man to be gloried through his death on the cross.
Like the imagery of the flock for whom the Good Shepherd lays down his life, the seed dying to bring forth life is a key image in John's interpretation of the death of Jesus. Seedimagery is common in the synoptic parables of the Kingdom. Verse 25 draws the contrast between those who love their life in this world only to find that they have lost it, and those who "hate'"or re-evaluate their earthly life only to discover that it is kept for eternal life. Eternal life in John is not something that begins after death: it is the depth of life that flows from knowing and sharing in the life of Jesus through faith and discipleship.
The Fourth Gospel has no account of the agony in the garden. Instead, today's gospel describes a moment in the prayer of Jesus that is unique to John. It is the equivalent of the anguished prayer of the agony and resembles it in several places. Jesus begins by saying that his soul is troubled (compare: "I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake" Mk 14:34). He prays to be spared the suffering but will submit to the Father's will (compare: "Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want" Mk 14:36). He is answered by a heavenly voice which some of the bystanders interpret as thunder, others as an angel speaking to him (compare: "then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength" Lk 22:43).
The gospel concludes with a final reference to the death of Jesus and its significance. It is the judgement of the prince of this world who will be overthrown in the final struggle between Jesus and the forces of darkness. It is the exaltation of Jesus: by being raised on the cross (see last Sunday), he will draw the world to himself for its salvation.
Today’s Readings
Jer 31:31-34; Ps 50; Heb 5:7-9; Jn 12:20-33
SOLUTIONS CROSSWORD No. 10 ACROSS: Across: 1. Intact, 5. Elapse, 10. Organza, 11. Oblongs, 12. Torc, 13. Jesus, 15. Aida, 17. Gas, 19. Zealot, 21. Eagles, 22. Macbeth, 23. Stalag, 25. Cocoon, 28. Sty, 30. Rude, 31. Nihil, 32. Esau, 35. Burundi, 36. Presume, 37. Lashes, 38. Damned. DOWN: 2. Nigeria, 3. Anne, 4. Tuareg, 5. Exodus, 6. Ails, 7. Sundial, 8. Cortez, 9. Essays, 14.
MARCH 28 We read the Passion story in its entirety twice during Holy Week. On Good Friday, we read John's majestic account. On Palm Sunday, we read the account of the evangelist of the year. This year's account is from Mark. Sabbath, 16. Roman, 18. Yahoo, 20. Tag, 21. Etc, 23. Scribe, 24. Andorra, 26. Obscure, 27. Nausea, 28. Sirius, 29. Yipped, 33. Ankh, 34. Helm. Winner of Crossword No. 10 Kay Brady, Longford. SUNDAY OF THE The entire Gospel of Mark had been described as "a
PASSION passion Gospel with a long introduction". It is a detailed (PALM SUNDAY) account of the last day of Jesus' earthly life, from the supper to the tomb.
Today's gospel begins with one of Mark's typical features, three stories that at first glance appear to have no relationship to one another, but on closer examination, provide us with a key to reading what follows. The first block tells how Jerusalem's religious establishment is looking for a way to get rid of
Jesus. Immediate action is ruled out by the crowds expected in Jerusalem for the Passover, many of whom are likely to be supporters of the prophet. This is followed by the story of a woman who anoints the head of Jesus with precious ointment while he is at supper in the house of Simon the leper in Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Some of his fellow guests protest at the waste, but he defends her, stating that she is already preparing his body for burial. The third story is Judas' bargain with the high priests to betray Jesus when the time is ripe.
The two stories of betrayal provide a framework for a prophetic interpretation of the death of Jesus. He is indeed on his way to the grave, but the gracious act of the unknown woman stands in stark contrast to the plans to have him put to death. The unidentified woman's generous act will be recalled "when the
Good News is proclaimed", as it is on this day so many years later. ACROSS 1. Frozen homes (6) DOWN 2. This Italian polymath discovered craters and
Mark's Passion account tells the sad story of the failure of discipleship. First, 5. Rutabaga by another name. (6) mountains on the Moon. (7)
Judas betrays him for money and will compound his treachery by making a 10. The capital of Lithuania. (7) 11. They are often found with crosses. (7) 3. Leave out. (4) 4. An organised method of getting something done. (6) kiss the identifying sign. His three favourite disciples will sleep just at the time 12. Type of calf for the Prodigal Son. (4) 5. Ballroom dances originally from Buenos Aires. (6) he needs their companionship. Except for Peter and an unnamed young man, 13. The author of Robinson Crusoe. (5) 15. A bed for a small baby, possibly Jesus. (4) 6. A mix of fat and flour used in making sauces. (4) 7. "Blessed are the meek, for they will ... the they will all run away. The young man flees when one of the soldiers takes hold 17. It denotes a married woman. (3) 19. The Apostle with doubts. (6) Earth." (Matthew 5:5) (7) 8. Long-legged wading bird, with a slender of the sheet he has thrown around him. Peter brazens it out even in the high 21. The oldest festival of the Christian Church. (6) upturned bill. (6) priest's courtyard, denying he ever knew him until he finally bursts into tears 22. An endowment for the singing or saying of Masses, commonly for the founder. (7) 9. Imaginary line on a chart that connects points of equal barometric pressure. (6) of shame. None of the chosen disciples is present at the moment of his death, 23. Move equipment and troops into position for military action. (6) 14. The first Pope from the Jesuit Order. (7) 16. What, according to Jacob's dream, linked just a few women who followed him and looked after him when he was in 25. The rulers during the life of Jesus. (6) Heaven and Earth. (5)
Galilee. Even they "watched from a distance". For his burial, he is dependent on 28. A fastener. (3) 30. Strange object in the sky. (4) 18. The first city man. (5) 20. Nervous or timid in the company of others. (3) the charity of an opponent, Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin. 31. Herb believed to have grown above the 21. "To ... is human, to forgive divine." (A. Pope) (3)
The Gospel writers place little emphasis on the physical sufferings of the spot where St. Constantine and Helen found the Holy Cross. (5) 23. Religious leaders in ancient Britain. (6) 24. In a devoutly religious way. (7)
Passion. Instead, they stress the inner desolation and abandonment of Jesus. 32. Let out breath audibly, as from sorrow or weariness. (4) 26. City of "The Babylonian Captivity of the Papacy." (7)
This is particularly so in Mark. Before he is arrested, Jesus prays in the darkened 35. Interrupt what someone is doing. (7) 27. Formal division in or separation from a garden, but despite telling his closest friends how abandoned he feels, he is 36. The way in which people of different areas pronounce words. (7) church or religious body. (6) 28. Landlocked country of Central Africa. (6) left alone in his prayer. Crucified on the Hill of the Skull, he is still abandoned, 37. Condition in which someone cannot clearly see things that are far away. (6) 29. The governor of Judea who presided over the trial of Jesus. (6) surrounded only by the jeering of his enemies who incite passers-by to join 38. This Mr. Rice founded the Christian 33. Crush into a soft, wet, shapeless mass. (4) in their mockery. His prayer, taken from the psalms, "My God, my God, why Brothers. (6) 34. A dishonest scheme, a fraud. (4) have you forsaken me?" appears unanswered. Yet that is the moment when Entry Form for Crossword No.2, March 2021 the pagan centurion confesses that, "In truth, this man was the Son of God." Name:
Today’s Readings
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