“Kintsukuroi” is the Japanese art of fixing broken pottery by applying powdered gold, silver, or platinum to the damaged areas. It’s an art of appreciating the genuineness of our broken pieces, of changing, and of finding beauty in imperfections. This metaphor helps us to remember where we have been rescued from.

The readings this Sunday evoke the beautiful process of repairing a broken pot. In the second reading, St. Paul tells us that we are God’s handiwork; we are his unfinished masterpieces. Meanwhile, the first reading enumerates the shortcomings and failures of the chosen people. God chose King Cyrus as an intermediary to rescue his people from Babylon. Indeed, God never grows weary of loving us. He’s a very patient artist. Even in our sinfulness and woundedness, he never loses sight of our true colors, of who we really are—we have been created in his image and likeness.

This Laetare Sunday, the gospel makes it very clear. We rejoice because God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son—yes, His beloved Son, who declares, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends!” This is the cost of God’s love for us. Just as Moses’ people were saved by looking up to the bronze serpent he lifted up, so will we who look up to Jesus’ Cross and believe in him.

This Lenten season, we are invited to look up to the crucifix, and as we contemplate the Crucified, we are reminded of God’s infinite love and mercy. It has the power to heal broken hearts and restore a person’s true dignity and beauty. However, it is also our mission to help restore his masterpieces: the lives of the wounded Church. Francisco Palau taught us to contemplate Jesus Crucified and the Church, which has been wounded by errors and sins. He encouraged us to kneel before the cross, adore it, (cf. Letter 39, 7) and offer our hearts as colorful palettes of mercy, love, joy, and forgiveness to continue God’s work of art in our lives and the lives of many people.

Community “Queen of Carmel”
Lucena City