My uncle Fr. Manuel has accompanied me to the German township of Brakel. There were bronze statues at the entrance of a bank that represent human story to this very day.
Let us contemplate the situation: The starting point is outside a bank. A person carries money in a bundle of cloth; the money falls off. In the end, he sees a woman behind him creeping to collect some coins from the ground. On the other side, there is a young unemployed poor youngster who tries to jump from the top of the balcony and shouts in the face of the "rich man who stacks his money saying: “Give me some of this before you stack it in the bank.” On the side of the road, a child tries to let go the hand of his mother in order to grasp some money.
It's the story of humanity. It is the story of the rich who have no time to count their money, and the poor who earnestly seek to collect some of the funds that fall off the pockets, off their bundles of cloth, and off their wallets. There are children who are separated from their families at the hands of their mother countries, where they run away seeking a better future. On the other hand, a youngster tries to jump off the bridges of the world, or rather commit suicide, fleeing poverty and unemployment.
We can view this issue from the windows of the United Nations to see the images of the rich and powerful countries which can take decisions, not only related to themselves, but also related to the other crushed countries. There are poor member countries of the United Nations. They which usually adhere to international and UN resolutions, to get some of their rights... that are dropped off by “big powers’.
Lord Jesus Christ told a parable known as the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, which is being unfortunately experienced by the people of the 21st century. He said: “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.” (Luke 16:19-22)
"Upon my visit to Germany, while I was watching these statues and read again the parable of Lazarus and the rich man... and while listening to the stories and the groaning of the immigrant and displaced peoples who look for the crumbs falling from the tables of the rich, I would say: Will a day come when social justice will be realized as we assume so that the rich would no longer be domineering and the poor would stop to beg and creep on the ground envying “the dogs of the of powerful” which enjoy their dignified life?”
Will a day come when we no longer talk about the Kingdom of Heavens, when full equality becomes the feature of people, who have no concern but to glorify the Creator… yet we focus our attention on Earth… where there are children who check on the garbage dumped seeking their daily food... while others commit suicide to set themselves free from the difficulties of life… while there are others who stack money, not knowing where to save them, and how much they are!
In the Year of Mercy... we reflect on these horrible people, and view the image of the Man of today who has not changed, and say: O Lord, have mercy on us, instill tranquility in the hearts of the depressed and the compassion in the rich.
Gibson excelled in the film “The Passion of the Christ”… as the money fell off the hands of Judas Iscariot.
As they fell scary sounds were heard…
The money continues to fall off here and there...
and Christ still suffers...
