Fanasitranana ny ratran'i Edena

NY TENY IZAO MOMBA NY VAKIN'NY MASY
ho an'ny zoma aorian'ny Alarobia Ash, 20 Febroary 2015

Lahatsoratra litorjia Eto

NY Fanjakan'ny biby no tena afa-po. Vorona afa-po. Ny trondro dia afa-po. Fa tsy ny fon'ny olombelona. Tsy milamina sy tsy afa-po izahay, tsy mitsahatra mitady fahafaham-po amin'ny endrika marobe. Eo am-pikatsahana fahafinaretana tsy misy farany isika raha izao tontolo izao dia mihodina ny dokambarotra mampanantena fahasambarana, fa ny fahafinaretana mandalo ihany - fahafinaretana mandalo, toa izany no farany. Fa maninona, aorian'ny fividianana ny lainga, dia tsy azo ihodivirana ny manohy mitady, mikaroka, mihaza ny dikany sy ny lanjany?

Izany no ratra of Eden. It is the lingering pain of an ancient broken trust. It is the contusion of lost communion with God and each other. 

They seek me day after day, and desire to know my ways… “Why do we fast, and you do not see it? Afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?” (First reading)

The Lord does not see our fasting if it is an end in itself, as if we are adding to a score. Does God really care if you give up chocolate for Lent? Rather, true fasting is the act of turning one’s eyes from the temporal to the eternal. Fasting, rituals, symbols, prayers… all of it is a means to help us turn our hearts to God. Nearly every religion in the world is simply an expression of this innate longing for communion with God (and in truth, a remarkable truth at that, God is longing for us):

Ny vavaka dia fihaonan'ny hetahetan'Andriamanitra amin'ny antsika. Mangetaheta Andriamanitra mba hangetaheta antsika isika. -Katesizan'ny Fiangonana Katolika, tsy. 2560

And so we are wounded, and we cry out in prayer… but to whom? Jesus Christ is the answer to this wound: By His wounds we are healed. ^[1]jer. 1 Pet 2: 24 Jesus’ face gives us a concrete place to fix our eyes; through the Eucharist, a concrete means to touch Him; through Confession, a concrete means to hear Him pronounce His mercy. The heart manomboka to be healed when we realize that we are so loved by God that He sent His only Son, and we put our fahatokiana ao Aminy:

Ny sorona ataoko, Andriamanitra ô, dia fanahy manenina; fo manenina sy manetry tena Andriamanitra ô, tsy mba holavinao. (Salamo anio)

Yet, Jesus taught us that the wound of Eden will never be completely healed by an inward glance only, as if religion were a merely subjective pursuit. As Pope Benedict asked:

Tamin'ny fomba ahoana no nivoaran'ny hevitra fa ny hafatr'i Jesosy dia teritery manokana ary ny olona tsirairay irery no kendreny? Ahoana no fomba nahatongavantsika tamin'ity fandikana ny "famonjena ny fanahy" ity ho toy ny fandosirana ny andraikitra ho an'ny rehetra, ary ahoana no nahitanay ny tetik'asa Kristiana ho toy ny fikarohana feno fitiavan-tena ho an'ny famonjena izay mandà ny hevitra hanompoana ny hafa? — PAPA BENEDICT XVI, Miteny Salvi, n. 16

This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed… (First reading)

To love God and neighbour: these, Jesus said, are the greatest commandments because in these alone will the human heart be restored to its full dignity, and find its rest.