Here are two women—Mary and Elizabeth. They have similarities—both were ordinary Jewish women, working in the field and making living day by day in the first century people thought that all of the important and significant things were happening in Rome or in Athens, or in the other centers of political power and commerce. They were insignificant and unknown peasant women. And both also never gave birth before. Mary was too young and had no relationship; Elizabeth too old and sterile. We could imagine how they were astonished to know that they were pregnant. It was never expected.
Life full of unexpected events takes place to ordinary people. A powerful earthquake shattered Haiti last January and claimed more than 230,000 Haitians’ lives and two million people displaced. Likewise, evil cancer came to my mother in March and she had to be operated and take twelve chemos. It is still going on. Struggles of the earthly sojourn that go beyond our capacity overwhelm us. Suffering that we want to avoid with all intention seems to be an important part of life.
Pope John Paul 2 sends the Apostolic Letter to all the faithful called “Salvific Doloris.” It is about the salvific meaning of human suffering. The pope talks about the significance of human suffering in light of its constructive outcomes. Through suffering, we are led to God who is our advocate and our brothers and sisters who suffer like us. Suffering bonds us to God and one another.
Let’s look at Mary who was overwhelmed by the unexpected pregnancy that could cause her death and destroy her family. Mary accepted it by saying, “May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). And then she set out and traveled to Elizabeth in haste. Mary’s fear of pregnancy and pang of childbirth did not stop her to serve her cousin in need. This is the model of Christian faith, standing for the poor even though they themselves have many difficulties. Our ordinariness does not stop us to go in haste and serve others in need.
We are Mary who has helped many Elizabeths in Haiti. Some of us prayed for them; some sent money; some went to Haiti to volunteer and to stay with them. I am here today to recognize your significant presences in the midst of Haitians’ suffering. They ask me to say to you thank you. They want me to pray for you. Your generous monetary response exceeded 200 million dollars by the end of May and has fed 900,000 people and 90,000 students and 10,000 children. I have met several Haitians in Immokalee, Florida last March. They were shocked to know the incident in Haiti and tried to use every means to find out their family’s safety. Many were not able to go back. I remember their faces and suffering.
Catholic Relief Services on behalf of us went to Haiti to relief their suffering and will remain with Haitians many more years because we have seen CRS immediately went to Indonesia and other areas devastated by Tsunami in 2004 and finished its five-year rebuilding project in 2009. They are still there to bring hope to the suffering. CRS President Hackett says, “ We have worked in Haiti more than 50 years and we intend to remain alongside Haitians for many more years to come.” It is the same Mary did. When Mary went to Elizabeth, she stayed with her about three months until Elizabeth gave birth to John the Baptist. CRS supported by us will remain in Haiti until they are able to find new life coming out of the unexpected and overwhelming event.
Mary’s Manificat resonates in our heart because it is an anthem for social justice; it is her love for people rather than power or politics. Mary praises God to lift up the lowly and fill the hungry with good things because God remembers His promise of mercy forever. Today as we celebrate Mary’s assumption, we are rejuvenated by the fact that we Christians set out and traveled to Haiti in haste to serve the poor. We relief their pain; we recover their strength; we rebuild their home, hospital and school; we resurrect their hope in the midst of suffering. It is our Manificat; it is our celebration of the Assumption because Mary did the same to Elizabeth and us.