IF JUSTICE for the oppressed cannot be attained through the laws of men, God would “avenge” them and give them what they deserve, a Dominican priest said.
Fr. Glen Mar Gamboa, O.P. said the Lord would deliver justice through His law but wants the faithful to fulfill their mission to the poor, the depressed and the anxious.
“The Lord did not want us to suffer here on Earth. He will judge [them] because He knows the hearts and minds of men, and He will avenge,” Gamboa said during the University’s Red Wednesday mass on Nov. 26.
Gamboa reminded the faithful that their mission is not to judge, but to let the poor experience God’s justice and love on Earth. He urged Catholics to ease the burdens of the poor, the depressed and the anxious to experience the love and justice Jesus promised.
“The Lord wants us to give justice also to them. How? To care. To love. To give. To share. So that while they are suffering here [on Earth], they would still be able to experience God’s justice, God’s love through us,” he said.
“In every suffering, sadness, tear, and pain that we feel every time we follow God, we would also see the face of God. And the face of God is everlasting love. That is the face of God.”
Gamboa urged the faithful to join Jesus in His mission to attain justice for the poor as those who prosecute them would be judged in the eyes of the Lord.
“So if we think that our actions, our vices, our pain, [and] the suffering that we give to others would be set aside… in the eyes of God, there is justice. And we are encouraged by God to take part in His justice,” he added.
The Dominican priest emphasized that Jesus also shared the pain that everyone experiences in their lives. Jesus provides hope that allow people to transform their hearts and undergo conversion, he added.
The priest said those who carry their burdens while keeping their faith would be rewarded in the afterlife, just like the Christian martyrs who sacrificed their lives.
“If we do that, we also take part in God’s justice… Our God has a law that will judge them [in the afterlife],” he said.
The mass was followed by a candle vigil and the lighting of the University’s popular landmarks in red.
Red Wednesday honors Christians who are experiencing persecution for their faith. It was initiated in 2016 by the papal charity Aid to the Church in Need.
This year’s observance carried the theme “Living Hope Amid Suffering.” F
