This week in History, recalls the day, 7th April, 1994, when the Vatican officially recognized the Jewish Holocaust. A Holocaust Memorial was erected in Rome and the world famous Jewish Cantor, Howard Nevison cantored for the Pope in Hebrew before an audience of 7000 people and 150 Holocaust survivors. Pope John Paul II is reported to have been so taken by the cantor’s voice that he exclaimed that “God had kissed your vocal chords.”
Reminiscent of the Shoah, Psalm 142 records the cry of the people in their terrifying ordeal, their utter helplessness and despair:
The enemy pursues my soul
He has crushed my life to the ground:
He has made me dwell in the darkness
Like the dead, long forgotten.
Therefore my spirit fails;
My heart is numb within me.
Indeed, the anguish of the people expressed in song, has a haunting quality to it, transfixing the listener and galvanizing the listener to action. Truly, the Lord is not indifferent to the cries of his people.
“We are your people, Lord, and your heritage. Let your eyes be open to the supplication of your servant and to the supplication of your people, Israel, giving ear to us whenever we call to you.” 1 Kings 8: 51 - 52
Anguish and suffering elicits compassion and response, calling us to solidarity, social justice and action. However, the Holocaust is also a testament of action by some and greater inaction by others. Such horrors should never come to pass again, and as we are deep in the fourth week of Lent, we are exhorted to look forward to the joys of Easter, not with feasting and inaction, perhaps not just with penance, good works and almsgiving, but by a deeper realization that humanity must never suffer such indignities again ever.
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