Kosasih (2001:150) in his study of the Carmelite history concludes that the understanding of contemplation in Carmel as a search for God in people emerged in various documents immediately after the Second Vatican Council based on the example of the prophet Elijah “who sought to see God” (Cf. Const. 11 & 13). The prophet is seen as one who has spoken face to face with God not only on the mountain in solitude but also in the marketplace “when he is actively engaged in political and social questions”. The prophet’s struggle against injustice was based on the concrete experience of God in history, a God who listens to the cry of the oppressed. In imitation of the prophet Elijah the Carmelite Order is characterized by openness to the world of the living God, working in history. The concept of contemplative therefore, has also received a new understanding, that is an attitude, which leads one not only to openness to the world, but also that enables him to see God in the world, because God is not only contemplated in solitude but also in human history through events and people. In other words, his presence is experienced and his word is found in the world through openness to reality and to the signs of the times. The recognition of his presence and word in the world brings about a new way of approaching humankind and provides a new way of being prepared and disposed to serve people. Consequently, being contemplative requires an insertion into historical reality because of the presence of God in it.
As we journey therefore, we are taking on more and more the way of God. We are coming to a greater union with God and with his way. If we know God in this way then will do justice and live in justice. We will become a people who will be incapable of living with injustice. We will abhor the kind of injustice that degrade the human person or fail to cultivate the human person. This idea is also reflected in the latest Pastoral letter issued by the Catholic Bishop Conference in the Philippines which states:
“On the one hand, religion must not be restricted to the purely private sphere, on the other hand, the Christian message must not be relegated to a purely other-worldly salvation incapable of shedding light on our earthly existence” (Shepherding and Prophesying in Hope, A CBCP Pastoral Letter on Social Concerns, # 10).
Justice and Peace from a biblical, theological and Carmelite Perspective
Justice and peace is a favorite theme in scripture from the Old Testament, in the New Testament and through the history of Christianity. In this section I will highlight the role of Prophet Elijah in the works of justice and peace, a new way of seeing Jesus and Mary. I will pick up as well some pronouncement from Vatican II, Social Teachings of the Church, PCP II, Carmelite Constitutions, exhortations from the General of the Carmelite Order that are related to the issue of justice and peace.
Prophets of Justice and Peace
God is not deaf to the cry of the poor and neither must we be deaf. In the words of the Prophet Isaiah, God says, “Is not this rather the fast which I desire: break unjust fetters, untie the thongs of the yoke, set free the oppressed and break every yoke? Does it not consist perhaps in sharing your bread with the hungry and to bring the oppressed and homeless into your own home, in clothing those who are naked without neglecting your own people?” (Is. 58, 6-7).
Prophet Elijah as defender of the Poor
The Carmelites draw inspiration from Prophet Elijah as they participate in the works for justice and peace. Traditionally, Elijah has been taken to be our spiritual father, inspiration and model. The ideal Carmelite Elijah is the solitary prophet, standing in the presence of God, burning with zeal for the Lord.
In his letter to the Carmelite Family in 2004, Fr. Joseph Chalmers, O. Carm, the Prior General of the Order, points out that recently the Carmelite Family has rediscovered in recent years the importance of the Prophet Elijah as an inspiration in the work of justice and peace. In recent times, Elijah is seen in terms of the biblical Elijah, the prophet who stands in opposition to the idolatry of the kings and strives to rebuild the peoples standing and identity after the destruction wrought by the kings. The prophet proposes the way of justice, in opposition to idolatry and oppression, the mystical way by which the people would recover their dignity as a people through their trust in the one true God and the way of solidarity by which the victims of injustice would be cared for and brought back.
Elijah’s contemplative experience prompted him to prophetic action. He denounced without fear the actions of the powerful people of his day and he brought the light of the Word of God into situations of sin. The story of Naboth’s vineyard (1 K. 21, 1-29) is a good example of Elijah’s prophetic activity. King Ahab wanted Naboth’s vineyard for himself but Naboth did not want to sell his patrimony. The Queen, Jezebel, mocked her husband and challenged him to show who in fact was King in Israel. The queen had hatched a diabolical plot to accuse Naboth unjustly of blasphemy and to assume the control of the vineyard when Naboth was out of the way. The Prophet Elijah came on to the scene when Ahab had taken the vineyard into his possession and he condemned Ahab for abusing his authority. Obviously this was a very courageous step. Proclaiming the Word of God in certain situations can be very dangerous. In the Prophet Elijah, we see a man who translated his contemplative experience into prophetic action. (Chalmers 2004, #14)
Recalling my personal experience, the image of prophet Elijah has played an important role in developing my option for justice and peace. At the very young age of 17, I entered Mount Carmel
Seminary in Escalante City, Negros Occidental in 1986. My study in Escalante was my first encounter with the Carmelites. I described my stay in Escalante as my second baptism in the sense that it was the time I was introduced to the economic and political problems of the country. 1986 was just a year after the dreaded Escalante massacre which more than 20 people were killed while they were holding protest action against the dictatorship of Marcos. While studying at our minor seminary, I was also involved in student activism. We always joined march rallies in Escalante and Bacolod city. During recollections and retreats, the usual topics were how can we as new bred of religious, new bred of Carmelites in the Philippines be responsive to the needs of the Filipino people. The Carmelites in Negros during this time were often calledcommunists. In our exposures to the people in the barrios or villages, I found out from the people that they appreciated very much the presence of the Carmelites in Negros because they were instrumental in establishing the cooperatives for the farmers, the fishermen, the mothers and youth. We interpreted that time that our role as Christians is to be prophet and to be in solidarity with the poor people. Until now, it is still very fresh in my mind the passage of the book of Kings 17 when Elijah fearlessly denounced King Ahab because of stealing the vineyard of Naboth.
Jesus Christ in relation to Justice and Peace
From the view of the Philippine Church as expressed by the Plenary Council of the Philippines II, we Filipino Christians cannot afford to shut off our eyes from the present realities that plagued our society because it is part and parcel of our being Filipino Christians. Every Filipino Christian must be vigilant to the on-going events that unfold in Philippine society because each one is called to proclaim God’s message of love in every place.
We Filipinos are followers of Christ, his disciples. To trace his footsteps in our times means to utter his word to others, to love with his love, to live with his life….To cease following him to betray our very identity
(PCP II 1991, # 34).
But what kind of Jesus Christ do we believe in? What kind of image do we have of him? Is it the meek Christ who suffered quietly and passively? Is He the one who went to the cross like a sheep to the slaughter and without opening his mouth? The implication of this view of Christ is vivid: in order for a person to become a good Christian, he/she should suffer quietly, or he/she should carry his/her cross without making any complaint and murmuring. When put into a situation of injustice, and oppression, he/she should gladly and openly accept it.
In order to embrace the struggle for justice and peace, we need to highlight the political dimension of Jesus’ ministry. As a prophet, we have to see Jesus as someone who clashed with both the religious and the civil authorities of his time. As
described by the letter of Fr. Jusayan and Fr. Pierik:
“Like Jesus had his public life, in which he took calculated risks for the sake of the poor and the downtrodden, so also we are to have our own public life in the service of redemption of our own oppressed brothers and sisters (Jusayan and Pierik 2006).
Breathing the same spirit as theologians who are being challenged and confronted with the reality of poverty, oppression and injustice, we have to become analytical and critical of our situation in society. We can ask the questions: How a message of hope can be offered to oppressed people. Does Jesus have nothing to do against injustice and oppression? We have to discover a new way of seeing Jesus. The first thing we can ask is “What did Jesus Christ really want to bring and what did he actually bring to us?” Waltermire (1994, 24-25) suggests that for liberation theologians like Boff, what Jesus actually proclaimed was the kingdom of God. And this kingdom of God demands personal conversion and restructuring of the human world. It demands a complete turn-around of one’s lifestyle, which in turn affects the world around him/her. The conversion that Jesus demands is a 100% liberation from legalism. Jesus condemned the Scribes and Pharisees not because they were evil people. In fact, they did what the Law and society required to be called good. But they failed to do the essence of the law which is: love, justice and mercy. We have to see that Jesus is not actually meek and passive. In fact, Jesus on many occasions got into trouble with the religious authorities in His time because of His radical interpretation of the law in favor of those people in need and people who were poor (Fabella 1999, 214). We have to see that what is enunciated in the Gospel is that Jesus opted for the poor. He preached that the reign of God was near. He called blessed those who hunger and thirst for justice. He fed, healed and welcomed outcasts. Finally, the death of Jesus on the cross was not a passive death. The cross reveals that God identifies with the one unjustly executed rather than with the rulers and perpetrators. Far from legitimizing suffering, the cross shows that God is in solidarity with the victims and that God opens the possibility of their own engagement, both interiorly and exteriorly against the forces of oppression. We have to see of Jesus as a liberator. He is on the side of the oppressed to free them. With these view of Jesus, we can provide a new image for the oppressed people. They may lift up the low self-image of the oppressed. They make them realize that they are of great worth, the privileged focus of God’s care. We have to see that Jesus is neither the passive victim nor as the dominating lord, but He is the liberating Word of God who is in solidarity with the poor (Ponce 2006, 52-56). (To be continued in next issue)
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