Barnabas, Silas (also called Silvanus), and Apollos

Paolo Veronese, “St. Barnabas Healing the Sick”, c. 1566

Continuing our journey among the protagonists who were the first to spread Christianity, today let us turn our attention to some of St Paul's other collaborators. We must recognize that the Apostle is an eloquent example of a man open to collaboration: he did not want to do everything in the Church on his own but availed himself of many and very different colleagues.

We cannot reflect on all these precious assistants because they were numerous. It suffices to recall among the others, Epaphras (cf. Col 1: 7; 4: 12; Phlm 23); Epaphroditus (cf. Phil 2: 25; 4: 18), Tychicus (cf. Acts 20: 4; Eph 6: 21; Col 4: 7; II Tm 4: 12; Ti 3: 12), Urbanus (cf. Rm 16: 9), Gaius and Aristarchus (cf. Acts 19: 29; 20: 4; 27: 2; Col 4: 10). And women such as Phoebe, (Rm 16: 1), Tryphaena and Tryphosa (cf. Rm 16: 12), Persis, the mother of Rufus, whom Paul called "his mother and mine" (cf. Rm 16: 12-13), not to mention married couples such as Prisca and Aquila (cf. Rm 16: 3; I Cor 16: 19; II Tm 4: 19).

Among this great array of St Paul's male and female collaborators, let us focus today on three of these people who played a particularly significant role in the initial evangelization: Barnabas, Silas, and Apollos.

Barnabas means "son of encouragement" (Acts 4: 36) or "son of consolation". He was a Levite Jew, a native of Cyprus, and this was his nickname. Having settled in Jerusalem, he was one of the first to embrace Christianity after the Lord's Resurrection. With immense generosity, he sold a field which belonged to him, and gave the money to the Apostles for the Church's needs (Acts 4: 37).

It was he who vouched for the sincerity of Saul's conversion before the Jerusalem community that still feared its former persecutor (cf. Acts 9: 27).

Sent to Antioch in Syria, he went to meet Paul in Tarsus, where he had withdrawn, and spent a whole year with him there, dedicated to the evangelization of that important city in whose Church Barnabas was known as a prophet and teacher (cf. Acts 13: 1).

At the time of the first conversions of the Gentiles, therefore, Barnabas realized that Saul's hour had come. As Paul had retired to his native town of Tarsus, he went there to look for him. Thus, at that important moment, Barnabas, as it were, restored Paul to the Church; in this sense he gave back to her the Apostle to the Gentiles.

The Church of Antioch sent Barnabas on a mission with Paul, which became known as the Apostle's first missionary journey. In fact, it was Barnabas' missionary voyage since it was he who was really in charge of it and Paul had joined him as a collaborator, visiting the regions of Cyprus and Central and Southern Anatolia in present-day Turkey, with the cities of Attalia, Perga, Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe (cf. Acts 13-14).

Together with Paul, he then went to the so-called Council of Jerusalem where after a profound examination of the question, the Apostles with the Elders decided to discontinue the practice of circumcision so that it was no longer a feature of the Christian identity (cf. Acts 15: 1-35). It was only in this way that, in the end, they officially made possible the Church of the Gentiles, a Church without circumcision; we are children of Abraham simply through faith in Christ.

The two, Paul and Barnabas, disagreed at the beginning of the second missionary journey because Barnabas was determined to take with them as a companion John called Mark, whereas Paul was against it, since the young man had deserted them during their previous journey (cf. Acts 13: 13; 15: 36-40).

Hence there are also disputes, disagreements and controversies among saints. And I find this very comforting, because we see that the saints have not "fallen from Heaven". They are people like us, who also have complicated problems.

Holiness does not consist in never having erred or sinned. Holiness increases the capacity for conversion, for repentance, for willingness to start again and, especially, for reconciliation and forgiveness.

So it was that Paul, who had been somewhat harsh and bitter with regard to Mark, in the end found himself with him once again. In St Paul's last Letters, to Philemon and in his Second Letter to Timothy, Mark actually appears as one of his "fellow workers".

Consequently, it is not the fact that we have never erred but our capacity for reconciliation and forgiveness which makes us saints. And we can all learn this way of holiness. In any case, Barnabas, together with John Mark, returned to Cyprus (Acts 15: 39) in about the year 49. From that moment we lose track of him. Tertullian attributes to him the Letter to the Hebrews. This is not improbable. Since he belonged to the tribe of Levi, Barnabas may have been interested in the topic of the priesthood; and the Letter to the Hebrews interprets Jesus' priesthood for us in an extraordinary way.

Silas was another of Paul's companions. "Silas" is a Greek form of a Jewish name (perhaps sheal, "to ask, to invoke", which has the same root as the name "Saul"); from which the Latin form Sylvanus also derives. The name Silas is attested to only in the Book of Acts, while the name "Silvanus" appears only in the Pauline Letters. He was a Jew from Jerusalem, one of the first to become a Christian, and he enjoyed high esteem in that Church (cf. Acts 15: 22), since he was considered a prophet (cf. Acts 15: 32).

He was charged to inform "the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia" (Acts 15: 23) of the decisions taken at the Council of Jerusalem and to explain them. Evidently he was considered capable of bringing about a sort of mediation between Jerusalem and Antioch, between Jewish-Christians and Christians of pagan origin and thereby of serving the unity of the Church in the diversity of rites and origins.

When Paul separated from Barnabas he took Silas with him as his new travelling companion (Acts 15: 40). With Paul, he reached Macedonia (and the cities of Philippi, Thessalonica and Beroea), where he stopped, while Paul went on to Athens and then to Corinth.

Silas joined him in Corinth, where he cooperated in preaching the Gospel; indeed, in the Second Letter that Paul addressed to that Church, he spoke of "Jesus Christ, whom we preached among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I" (II Cor 1: 19). This explains how he came to be the joint author, together with Paul and Timothy, of the two Letters to the Thessalonians.

This also seems important to me. Paul does not act as a "soloist", on his own, but together with these collaborators in the "we" of the Church. This "I" of Paul is not an isolated "I" but an "I" in the "we" of the Church, in the "we" of the apostolic faith. And later, Silvanus is also mentioned in the First Letter of Peter, in which we read: "I have written [briefly] to you... by Silvanus, a faithful brother" (5: 12). Thus, we also see the communion of the Apostles. Silvanus serves Paul and he serves Peter, because the Church is one and the missionary proclamation is one.

Paul's third companion, whom we want to recall is Apollos. This name is probably an abbreviation of Apollonius or Apollodorus. Although this is a pagan name, he was a fervent Jew from Alexandria, Egypt. Luke, in his book, the Acts of the Apostles, describes him as "an eloquent man, well versed in the Scriptures... fervent in spirit" (18: 24-25).

Apollos' entry on the scene of the first evangelization took place in the city of Ephesus. He had gone there to preach and had the good fortune to come across the Christian couple, Priscilla and Aquila, who introduced him to a fuller knowledge of the "way of God" (cf. Acts 18: 26).

From Ephesus he went to Achaia and reached the city of Corinth: where he arrived with a letter of recommendation from the Christians of Ephesus, in which they charged the Corinthians to give him a good welcome (cf. Acts 18: 27). In Corinth, as Luke wrote: "he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully confuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus" (Acts 18: 27-28), the Messiah.

His success in that city, however had a problematic sequence since there were certain members of that Church who, fascinated by his way of speaking, opposed the others in his name (cf. I Cor 1:12; 3: 4-6; 4: 6).

In his First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul expressed his appreciation of Apollos' work, but reprimanded the Corinthians for wounding the Body of Christ by splitting it into opposing factions. From this whole affair he drew an important teaching: Be it I or Apollos, he says, we are none other than diakonoi, that is, simple ministers, through whom you have come to the faith (cf. I Cor 3: 5).

Everyone has a different task in the field of the Lord: "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.... we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building" (I Cor 3: 6-9).

After returning to Ephesus, Apollos resisted Paul's invitation to return to Corinth immediately, postponing the journey to a later date of which we know nothing (cf. I Cor 16: 12). We have no further information about him, even though some scholars believe he is a possible author of the Letter to the Hebrews which Tertullian believed Barnabas had written.

These three men shine in the firmament of Gospel witnesses as they are distinguished by one common feature as well as by individual characteristics. They had in common, in addition to their Jewish origin, their dedication to Jesus Christ and the Gospel, besides the fact that all three were collaborators of the Apostle Paul.

In this original evangelizing mission they found their purpose in life and as such stand before us as shining examples of selflessness and generosity.

Moreover, let us think again of St. Paul's phrase: both Apollos and I are servants of Jesus, each one in his own way because it is God who gives the growth. These words also apply to us today, to the Pope, the Cardinals, Bishops, priests and laity. We are all humble ministers of Jesus. We serve the Gospel as best we can, in accordance with our talents, and we pray God to make his Gospel, his Church, increase in our day.

Source: At the General Audience on  31 January 2007, in the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall, the Holy Father resumed his Catecheses on the Apostles of the Church. He focused on the most important missionary companions of St. Paul: Barnabas, Silas (also called Silvanus), and Apollos.

Contemplating the Crucified Christ*

The Dominican Convent of San Marco in Florence, Italy became the home of many celebrated Dominicans in the fifteenth century, including the artist Fra Angelico (1395-1455), the Archbishop of Florence St. Antoninus of Florence (1389-1459), the artist Fra Bartolomeo (1472-1517), and Fra Girolamo Savonarola (1452-1498). The cells of the friars' dormitories were decorated by Fra Angelico in collaboration with others. The frescoes (a painting done rapidly in watercolor on wet plaster on a wall or ceiling, so that the colors penetrate the plaster and become fixed as it dries) served not merely as means of instruction, still less as adornment, but as aids to contemplation and meditation. The brothers inhabiting the cells would have constantly before them a vivid yet chaste reminder of one of the events in the life of Our Lord Christ.

In Cell number 37 of the convent, the Savior is seen crucified between the two thieves. The Virgin Mary and St. John the Beloved stand to the side. St. John rests his head heavy with sadness in his hand right hand while he brings his left hand up to his cheek. St. Dominic spreads his arms contemplating the Savior and behind him St. Thomas Aquinas is seen kneeling, contemplating the Word of God before the crucifix.

The brother assigned in cell no. 37 must had been reminded every moment of the love of God. We must always contemplate and never forget the Love of God.

The Lord remembers even the thief so much so that He said: "Hodie mecum eris in paradiso" (Today, you shall be with me in Paradise). (Lk 23:43). Heaven is assured to those who are repentant, to those who love.

At Home and in Exile: Our Priesthood and the Coronavirus*

At Home and in Exile  

Our Priesthood and the Coronavirus

9 April 2020 (Holy Thursday) 

MOST REV. SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS, DD

My dearly beloved brother priests of the Church in Lingayen-Dagupan:

It is Holy Thursday. It is the anniversary of our priesthood. Our hearts look back to the Upper Room and we thank Him for saying: “Do this in memory of me” (Lk 22:19). From those words, our priesthood was born. It is our anniversary today and we are in exile, unable to gather together, to celebrate our brotherhood as priests. We want to put on the familiar vestments together, walk up to the altar side-by-side ahead of me, sit and sing and stand together to renew the promises we made when we were ordained. “Tu es sacerdos in æternum”—We cannot hear it this year. We cannot sing it together today. We are in exile because of a life-threatening virus. It is heartbreaking! If this is a nightmare, will someone wake us up? Is the morning still far away? In this exile, it is good to remember our own ‘Upper Room’ day when the bishop laid his hands on us, ordaining us to be priests. After our ‘Upper Room’ event, where did we go? After hearing: “Do this in memory of me” (Lk 22:19), where did we go? What did we do? What have we done? Where are we now?

From the Upper Room, the betrayer walked away to sell Him (cf. Jn 13:30); the others disappeared into the dark night. There were three who went with Him to the Garden of Olives. The Lord Jesus was longing for consolation and He brought with Him the three: Peter, James and John (cf. Mt 26:37). “My soul is sorrowful even to death, remain here and keep watch with me” (Mt 26:38). Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, we knew fear and sorrow; we knew loneliness and abandonment; we have known frustration and defeat; we have known helplessness and fruitless labor; and now that we have much time to reflect during this quarantine, we also know now the wrong remedies we have applied. We know the tasteless substitutes we have explored. We are aware of the intoxicating friendships we have created. We forgot that the only medicine for loneliness and frustration and depression is to do as heeded: to pray and be alone with the Father. “Do this in memory of me” (Lk 22:19). “Pray like me, trust like me, obey like me, love like me,” the Lord says. All the others are wrong poisonous remedies. We have seen loneliness and we will still be lonely in the future; we are not immune from it but the Lord stays with us. Give Him a chance to remain with you as you grapple with your humbling frustrations and fearful defeats. 

Where did you go after your ‘Upper Room’? Are you like James who became invisible like a virus after the arrest? Like James hiding his identity? Have we chosen the path of being incognito so we can enjoy both worlds? We hide the Roman collar and put the cross in our pockets so that we can be like the rest. Like James, have we disappeared into the night choosing anonymity? The Gospels are quiet where James went after the Lord was arrested but whether he acted from fear, anonymity or self-security, confusion or puzzlement, he found his way back to the room with locked doors on Easter morning. You may have been lost but just be sure you know where to go if you want to start again. In the Church, you can come to me, you can come to your brothers. In the Church, with our brother priests, we have the risen Lord always. 

Where did you go after your ‘Upper Room’? Are you like Peter who followed from a safe prudent distance, ‘social distancing’ in crisis, watching God's love story unfold from the bleachers row, not from the ring side or the playing field? After denying that he knew the Lord repeatedly, the cock crowed (cf. Mt 26:74) and the Lord turned and looked at Peter (cf. Lk 22:61). He went out and began to weep bitterly (cf. Mt 26:75). Peter was a brave man who followed even from a distance. He was brave to use the sword to protect the Lord from the arresting soldiers (cf. Mt 26:50). He was brave but he did not hide after the first question of the woman if he knew the Lord. He was brave but he just reached a moment of weakness beyond human endurance. My dear brothers, Peter is us. The Lord knows we are not 'bad priests' but we are weak. We know what we must do but the thorn in our flesh sometimes takes over us. Even if our own hearts cannot forgive us anymore, know, my dear brothers, that the Lord is greater than our hearts. Arise, look up, just believe that you are loved. Weep if you need to weep but keep trusting in the mercy of the Lord. 

Where did you go after the ‘Upper Room’? Did you go like John to accompany the mother of the Lord (cf. Jn 19:25-27)? John laid his chest on the breast of the Lord (cf. Jn 13:23). He heard the beating of the Lord's heart and he was changed. The Beloved Disciple became invisible like a mystic. He saw heavily visions. As Pilate questioned the Lord about the truth, he saw divine greatness in the scourging, in the crowning with thorns. He saw glory not disgrace in His crucifixion. He saw the hour had indeed come. He saw the invisible and he became invisible not like a virus but like an invisible vaccine. He became invisible to us who were just caught up in the drudgery of this valley of dreariness. My brothers, it is mystics who will renew the church. Pope Francis is right: “Without mysticism, religion will just be a Philosophy” (cf. Interview of Pope Francis by Eugenio Scalfari in "La Repubblica", 1 October 2013). Now, we are stripped of pastoral action and pastoral plans. We are in exile in our rectories. We are called to be contemplatives in exile. May our pastoral action after this corona virus pandemic begin from mysticism and be accompanied by contemplation to make the world truly a seedbed of saints. From this exile, we can still proclaim “Dominus est”, “It is the Lord” (cf. Jn 21:7). 

Lord, you know that we love you. This has been a much too early Good Friday. May the sacrifice of this exile lead us to our long-awaited everlasting Easter. Priests of the Church in Lingayen-Dagupan, you are the love of my heart and I love you all very dearly. In my heart, I know, you are the best priests in the world.

Crossing Over Our Jerusalem

A Palm Sunday Reflection on the COVID-19 Pandemic | 5 April 2020, Rome 

MOST REV. LUIS ANTONIO G. CARDINAL TAGLE, DD

My Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

We once again thank God for bringing us together as one community as we start the Holy Week, commemorating Jesus' entrance into the city, Jerusalem, and we heard St. Matthew's version (cf. Mt 26:14-27:66 or 27:11-54) of the passion and death of Jesus for this year. I would dare say that our generation will not forget this Holy Week. This is the first time in my 38 years as a priest to celebrate the Holy Week this way. And I'm sure, it will remain with me, not just as a memory but as an invitation for us to really enter the mystery of Jesus' passion and death, when all the other rituals and traditions that we have been used to are greatly reduced or even cancelled.  

To my brother priests: we have always been busy during Holy Week. To the sisters, the pastoral workers, the catechists, the liturgists: you have been preoccupied like crazy during Holy Week looking after the many details of the celebration. Now, we have time to reflect, to pray; and maybe for many—for the first time—to really enter the mystery without any of these preoccupations about: "Are the flowers ready?", "Are the candles ready?", "Are the linens ready?" They are all important but now we are reduced to the Word, the celebration itself. So this is also a privileged time. Allow me to reflect on this beautiful day, which ushers in the whole week, with a few reflections linking them to the context that we are in, this pandemic which has hit and has been affecting practically all peoples. 

Jesus enters Jerusalem

The first point is this: Jesus enters Jerusalem, and there He will face His passion and death. This coronavirus pandemic has claimed the lives of so many people in many parts of the world, and no one seems to be exempt; and for some of us, it's coming closer. I have friends who have died. I have a cousin who died yesterday in the US. He had cancer but the virus hit also. And so as we commemorate Jesus' entry to Jerusalem to face His passion and death, I guess the coronavirus pandemic also asks all of us: "How do you face your death?" "Does it even cross our mind?" Iniisip ba natin ang kamatayan at papaano natin haharapin ang kamatayan? (Have we thought of death and how could we face it?). 

Our readings and the celebration today remind us of something fundamental: Jesus did not go to Jerusalem only to face death. It's very clear: Going to Jerusalem was the culmination of His mission. He came, He was born, He lived for a mission, and integrated into that mission to fulfill the Scriptures is His humble death. 

As St. Paul says in the Second Reading (cf. Phil 2:6-11), the humility not only to be a human being but the humility to die, and the humility to die on the cross that was part of the mission. So I suppose Jesus is telling us the best way to prepare for death is to live your mission now and let death be the culmination of your mission. We cannot prepare for death by panicking, by going to the best doctors... they can serve; but in the end, we face death if we know this is the apex of my mission in life. I came here for this mission and because I'm convinced of that mission,  I can bear all the pain, the passion and the dying entailed by that mission. 

To our student priests, if you are convinced that your coming to Rome to study is a mission, then you can survive all the sleepless nights, you can survive all the pains of studying. You did not come here to suffer. You came here to study and if that is the perspective of my mission, you can bear with all the dying. So the question is not just "How to die?"; the question now is "How are you living?", "How are you performing your mission?"

Para sa mga kababayang takot na takot mamatay—at dapat naman talagang matakot: Nakakatakot talaga pero mas nakakatakot na wala ka palang naging buhay, hindi mo pala nagawa ang misyon mo kaya lalong nakakatakot mamatay. Pero 'yung tao na alam n'ya: "Naibigay ko na’ng lahat sa aking misyon" kapag dumating na ang katapusan, may kapayapaan ang puso, kayang harapin, masakit man, nakakatakot man, pero kayang harapin ang kamatayan dahil alam n'ya: "Nagawa ko na ang aking misyon sa buhay." (For my fellowmen who are very afraid to die—and we should really be afraid: It is really frightening but not to live life at all is more frightening. But a person who knew that he or she has given everything in one's mission, when the end becomes apparent, there is peace in the heart, ready to face—though painful and frightening—death because he or she knew that "I have fulfilled my mission in life"). 

Jesus turns Suffering into a Gift of Self 

The second point is this: Many people are asking: "My wife... she's a good woman, a good wife, a good mother... she does not deserve this suffering. She does not deserve to die this way." I suppose this is a question that many patients and loved ones of patients of the coronavirus entertain. Some even ask God: "What have I done against neighbor and against You for me to deserve this?" I know this is  a question that comes to us instinctively, almost naturally when we suffer. We think of suffering as a punishment from God and so we tried to be good in order to avoid any suffering; and when suffering comes, we ask God: "I've been good then why is this suffering coming to me?" I guess, it's part of our human instinct but if we pose that question to Jesus and we read the passion of Jesus and the passion of the prophet, the suffering servant, in the First Reading (Is 50:4-7), I think that is not the right question because the prophet, the suffering servant in Isaiah, does not deserve the suffering, the physical and verbal insult; He did not deserve it; Jesus did not deserve it. And here's Peter telling the rest: "I do not know Him" and Jesus does not deserve that especially from Peter. Jesus showed Peter a singular love even when Peter did not deserve Jesus' recognition. If I were Jesus—and thank God I am not Jesus—Peter would have gone early on in the Gospel accounts and you would not see Peter anymore towards the end, but I am not Jesus. But Jesus deserves better from Peter. Peter, James and John—all the closest friends—what did they do? They slept when Jesus needed them the most. Jesus did not deserve that. Judas who was telling Jesus: "Hail! Rejoice! Peace to you, Rabbi" and then the arrest came. 

Jesus does not deserve that, and all the rest especially culminating in that prayer: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" He did not deserve it, but maybe we're asking the wrong question. Maybe our perspective is mistaken.  Maybe it's not the question of what we deserve and what we do not deserve, but hearing that final disturbing prayer of Jesus where He does not even call God 'Father', He goes back to the formal address, "My God".  On the cross there is no familiarity, but then that is the cry of the Savior. He does not deserve that but He owned it. He owned it so that we would not be abandoned. He did not abandon us. He took our cries as His own and turned it into a prayer, not a complaint, but the prayer of self-giving. 

So when we suffer, maybe the invitation is how do we turn suffering— if it is in the fulfillment of God's will—into a gift of self. Whether we deserve it or not is secondary, what is primary is: though I associate myself with others who are abandoned and I take into my heart their cry, I make that my own offering of self to God. And it is not abandonment... it is salvation especially when it comes from the Son of God. 

Para po sa mga nakakaramdam na para silang napabayaan ng Diyos, at nagtatanong: "Bakit nangyayari ito? May ginawa ba ako?" Siguro hindi po iyon ang dapat manaig. Manalig tayo. Kinuha ni Hesus ang ating mga karanasan na tayo'y parang pinabayaan. Inangkin N'ya 'yun, pero sa puso N'ya hindi iyon nanatiling pagrereklamo sa Diyos kundi pagpapaubaya, paghahandog ng sarili sa Diyos kaya tayo’y naligtas. Tayo na dapat talagang mapabayaan, hindi pinabayaan ni Hesus, inangkin at iniaalay sa Diyos. (For those who feel that God abandoned them and ask: "Why is this happening? Have I done wrong?" Maybe that must not reign in us. Have faith. Jesus took our experiences of abandonment as His own. He claimed it, but in His heart it was not a complaint to God but letting it be, a self-offering to God so that we might be saved. We deserve to be really forsaken, but Jesus did not abandon us, but claimed and offered us to God).

The Cloak, the Palm and the Silent Hosanna!

And finally, I've been receiving some messages from people who have lost their loved ones, and aside from the pain, the sorrow of having lost someone dear to them, now it is also the pain of not being able to be there beside their loved one because of the quarantine, because of the strict rules. Many people die alone whether in the hospital or in their homes without any loved one beside them. Thanks to the doctors and nurses and other people who care, and I tell Jesus: Look, when You enter Jerusalem to face Your suffering and death,  You had a crowd, You have people to accompany You,  to welcome You at least at the beginning. They even threw their cloaks on the road... this long protective clothing that the people used to protect themselves from the heat or from the rain. Now, they removed this sign of protection to welcome You as though they are telling You: "We will protect You." They welcomed You with their palms, with their branches especially the palm leaves dear to them as a sign the victory over violence and war, a sign of peace. They’re welcoming You, the Prince of Peace with shouts of "Hosanna!", let God be our Savior that God may save us. Yes, but in the end, they will strip Jesus naked and they will give Him a cloak, a military cloak as a sign of ridicule. They will give Him a reed to insult Him: "Hail, King of the Jews!" His friends will leave Him, too. He will be alone. 

To the people who grieve over the death of a loved one and who grieve because they were not there to accompany their loved ones, our faith and our celebration today remind that Jesus had the same experience, and Jesus is definitely is, was and will be with every person crossing to their Jerusalem. No one will cross alone. Jesus will be with you. And you, dear family members, throw your cloaks, your cloaks of prayer and petition; wave your palms of peace to your departed loved ones; shout your silent "Hosanna!" as prayer of salvation, and the event becomes holy. 

Let us celebrate the signs of Jesus’ nearness to us. We can be the cloak, we can be the palm, we can be the silent "Hosanna!" to those who are crossing over to their Jerusalem.

A Final Note

Let me close with something that was really also quite surprising but uplifting to me. A few days ago, a religious priest who belongs to a religious order working in Manila sent me messages about the activity in their parish,  and of their congregation especially to help the poor and the homeless. There are quite a number of homeless people in the territory, the area of the parish. So he said: "Your Eminence, we're doing what we can and we tried to give food to the homeless, those who are on the streets." And I said: "Just be careful because they will congregate and you should observe also distancing. Now, it's good to help but coordinate with the police..." Then he said: "Yes, we are doing that. One homeless person was asking about you. This homeless person was asking where is Cardinal. I miss him." So I told the priest: "When you see that person again, please tell him or her that I am grateful for the greeting and I will pray for him or her. Then yesterday, I got the video from the priest, the video of this homeless woman with a mask and with a bag of food. She said:  "Cardinal Tagle, kamusta na po kayo? Mag-iingat po kayo, ha!" (Cardinal Tagle, how are you? Please take care of yourself). Wow, a homeless woman and she is thinking of her bishop. Thank you... Who am I? She should be worried about herself, she should be worried about her condition but then she wishes her bishop all the good things. This is Holy Week, this is how we accompany Jesus and this is how Jesus accompanies us as we cross to Jerusalem.

Plenary Indulgence during the Coronavirus Pandemic*

What are they and how are they obtained?

What is a Plenary Indulgence?

A plenary indulgence is the remission before God of all temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven. It can be applicable to oneself or the dead (but not to other living people)

How can I receive the indulgence?

Under these circumstances, there are many ways to receive the indulgence, for example:

—Pray the Holy Rosary

—Pray the Way of the Cross

—Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet -Read Holy Scripture for 30 mins

— Offer a Visit to the Blessed Sacrament

What if someone is on the point of death?

It is enough to desire the indulgence and to have prayed a few prayers throughout one's life.

Who can receive a Plenary Indulgence during the current situation?

Coronavirus patients, their caregivers, and all the faithful who pray for the end of the pandemic and the people affected by it.

What else is needed to receive it?

1. Reject sin internally.

2. Pray for the Pope's intentions.

3. Have the will to confess and receive Holy Communion the moment it is possible again.

Source: Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary, 20 March 2020

A Way of the Cross in a Time of Pandemic*

In the quiet and often isolated days of the pandemic, many of us found ourselves reflecting deeply on life, suffering, and the call for resilience. A Way of the Cross in a Time of Pandemic is a meditation on these reflections, drawing on the Stations of the Cross to help us understand, endure, and even find hope amid the challenges we face.

The Way of the Cross traditionally brings us through the final hours of Jesus’s life—a journey filled with sorrow, sacrifice, and, ultimately, triumph. During a pandemic, these stations hold new meaning as we experience our own "stations" of suffering: fear, illness, loneliness, loss, and the longing for an end to hardship. Just as Jesus bore his cross with love and courage, we, too, are invited to walk our own path with a spirit of compassion, patience, and hope.

The Stations Reimagined

Each station in the Way of the Cross reminds us of a specific moment in Jesus’s journey, and in the context of a pandemic, these moments resonate with us in unique ways:

1. Jesus Is Condemned to Death: The shock of a diagnosis or the grim statistics we see daily can feel like condemnation. Like Jesus, we are faced with difficult realities beyond our control.

2. Jesus Accepts His Cross: Accepting the weight of new restrictions, uncertainty, and isolation has been our cross to bear. But we learn to carry it, leaning on the strength that can come only from faith and community support.

3. Jesus Falls the First Time: In moments when it all feels overwhelming, we fall too. But Jesus's first fall reminds us that falling is not failing. Each time we stumble, we are called to rise again.

4. Jesus Meets His Mother: Like Mary standing by Jesus, many have stood by us, reaching out in support. Family, friends, and even strangers have shown us compassion and love, bringing comfort to our darkest days.

5. Simon Helps Jesus Carry the Cross: We are reminded of the countless healthcare workers, volunteers, and essential personnel who have stepped up to ease the burden for others, becoming modern-day Simons.

Each station speaks to our experience and encourages us to see beyond personal suffering, to hope, and to recognize those who continue to support us along the way.

Finding Hope Through the Cross

The Way of the Cross doesn’t end in sorrow. The journey leads to resurrection and new life. This reminds us that though we endure hardship now, there is hope for healing, recovery, and renewal. Reflecting on these stations can help us find meaning in our suffering, trust in God’s presence, and a deeper appreciation for the shared humanity that unites us all.

The path we walk now may be challenging, but, as A Way of the Cross in a Time of Pandemic teaches us, there is grace in every step, a reminder that we are never truly alone. Through these reflections, may we find comfort and courage to continue forward with faith and hope, bearing our crosses in solidarity with one another and with Christ.