March 7, 2021
We are now on our third homily of our Lenten Homily Series, “Travel the World in 7 Minutes”! In our first homily we went to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico and reflected on Jesus in the desert. In our second homily we went to Mabou, Canada and reflected on the disciples wanting to pitch a tent and be with Jesus on Mt. Tabor. This week we are going to Port au Prince, Haiti.
In 2013 I was living in Michigan helping at Everest Academy, doing youth ministry and missions. We would do missions throughout the local area and in downtown Detroit. In the summer we went to Port au Prince, Haiti where we helped the Missionaries of Charity run a summer camp for over one hundred kids. Less than three years before, in 2010, there was a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that shook the entire country. Many died, many lost their homes and numerous buildings collapsed including their Cathedral.
One day while in Haiti, we stopped in to visit the Cathedral and I’ll never forget it. It was rubble. The ceiling had collapsed, the pillars stood like silos and the remaining walls had the stations of the cross spray painted on them.
Today, as we read about Jesus saying, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up,” I couldn’t help but think about the only temple I had ever seen that was destroyed, the Cathedral in Port au Prince, Haiti. The people of Jesus’ time would have thought he was crazy, since we know from the Gospel that the temple had been “under construction for forty-six years”. Jesus wasn’t talking about the physical building, he was talking about himself. Jesus was referring to his resurrection. Unfortunately, we speak too little about the resurrection. Unfortunately, there are too few paintings of the resurrection in our Churches. We are preparing for the resurrection at Easter. Without Jesus’ resurrection our faith doesn’t make any sense. Jesus wasn’t on the cross forever. Jesus rose after three days. This should give us great hope. Jesus has the power to bring light into our darkness and transform our suffering and darkness into life and light.
If you need anything, never hesitate to ask me.
God bless you and your loved ones, Fr. Kramer Cameron, LC
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