17-Feb-2014 Dear friend,
Can we say that as people of faith we are different from people who do not have faith? Of course our actions and lives should reveal the type of faith we have. However, when it comes to daily practice we tend to follow the crowd. People generally like to mix with people of their own kind and avoid those who rub them the wrong way. The dictum followed is: 'You be nice to me and I'll be nice to you'. Conversely, if people hurt us we feel we have every right to retaliate. Novels and movies suggest revenge is the right way to get even. Jesus asks us to go beyond - love those who hurt us! That's difficult if not impossible! May his Spirit make us imitate his lifestyle! Fr. Jude Sunday Reflections: Seventh Sunday-"You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect!"23rd Feb. 2014 Leviticus 19: 1-2, 17-18; 1Corinthians 3: 16-23; Matthew 5: 38-48; In the Book of Leviticus the word used for God is synonymous with 'Perfect' 'Blameless' and 'Holy'. "Be Holy as I your God am Holy". In today's first reading God instructs Moses to tell the people to imitate the holiness of God and be kind and charitable in their lives because God does not want his people to exact vengeance or bear a grudge against one another. Holiness not only extends to our relationship with God but also with our brothers and sisters. To be holy is to live blameless lives, not bearing revenge and hatred towards others. Be Holy for I your God am holy! Lutz Long was one of the best German athletes and a favourite of Adolf Hitler. During the long jump trial he broke several Olympic records. The only other person who could beat him was Jesse Owens. Hitler hated the black athlete and moved out of the pavilion when Jesse recorded his trial. Jesse was upset with the treatment of Hitler. He fouled his first trial and failed to qualify in the second trial. There was only one last chance to redeem himself. At that moment Jesse felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Lutz Long his competitor. He advised him to draw a line a few inches short of the take off. Jesse followed the advice of his opponent. He succeeded and qualified for the event. From that moment onwards a bond of friendship developed between the two athletes. Later on Jesse had to compete with Lutz and won against his advisor. Jesse went on to win three gold medals. Hitler looked at the black athlete with anger and contempt but Lutz held his hand and praised him for his achievement. Lutz, an ordinary athlete not only followed the law but went beyond the law. He practiced the law of love against his opponent. - All of us need a transformation! The world needs to change. Only true charity and forgiveness can bring about this change. That was what Jesus meant when he prayed, "Father forgive them for they do not know what they do." The speciality of Christian love is not mere forgiveness but love that transforms enemies. Elias Dias in 'Divine Stories for Families' The Sermon on the Mount is both a challenge and a source of inspiration at the same time. Today's gospel invites us to be always the first movers in forgiveness, to be generous beyond measure in being reconciled to the one who has wronged us. We are challenged to go beyond what the law requires of us. What are we to do with those who seek to impose themselves upon us through some form of violence? Are we to react and respond in the same way, as common sense suggests? Jesus proposes three strong examples: offering the other striking to one who strikes us on one cheek; offering your cloak to one who takes your coat, and going the extra mile with one who forces you to go one mile;- which are apparently renouncing any kind of resistance, but in reality they are attitudes inviting reflection on the part of those involved in those situations. As in the entire Sermon on the Mount, the question is to go one step farther, with a new orientation. Every one, including the aggressor, must be a temple of God and we must recognize that. What gives meaning to our response is the motivation which follows: love. The last prescriptions bring to culmination the teachings of Jesus on love. Ordinary logic would have us love those who are good to us and keep our distance from those who dislike us. But Jesus challenges us to love our enemies and pray for those who mistreat us. This requirement is based on the very example of God the Father, who considers everyone, the good and the evil, as his children. Quite simply we are asked to be perfect and merciful like the Father. Only God can help us to do so daily. He will. What you do to the least, you do to me! Travelling during his term as Vice President, Thomas Jefferson requested a room at Baltimore's principal hotel. The Vice President was travelling alone, without secretary or servant; it had been a long day and it showed in his clothes and appearance. The proprietor, not recognizing his distinguished guest, refused him a room. After Mr. Jefferson left, the proprietor learned that he had just turned from his establishment the Vice President of the United States. The horrified proprietor immediately sent his servants to find Mr Jefferson and offered him whatever accommodation he wished. A servant found the Vice President at a small inn where he had taken a room for the night. Mr Jefferson sent the servant back to the hotel's proprietor with this message: "Tell your master I value his good intentions highly, but if he has no room for a dirty farmer, he shall have none for this Vice president." - Jesus is in the least and shabbiest person, especially if we consider that person our enemy. Gerard Miller in 'Stories for all Seasons' Do not retaliate or exact revenge! Jesus never wanted anyone to retaliate with harm or serve injury with injury and bloodshed with bloodshed. When Henry VIII was having a quarrel with Francis I of France, he requested Sir Thomas More to carry a very sharp note to the French King. "But your majesty," protested Thomas More, "You know his temper. Why, he might even have me beheaded." "Never fear," replied Henry VIII "If he does, I will have the head of every Frenchman in London." "That is very kind of you" said Thomas More, "I do not think that any of their heads will fit my shoulders." Revenge is to be condemned. There are some people who long to plunge the dagger of revenge at every opportune moment. Revenge is an expression of vengeance. A disciple of Jesus ought to pray for his enemies and persecutors for in that way we shall become children of our Father, who makes his sun shine on the good and the evil, and sends his rain on the righteous and unrighteous. Elias Dias in 'Divine Stories for Families' Loving ones enemies actually works! For twenty-eight years, Nelson Mandela was locked away in prison in South Africa. His children were kicked out of school and prevented from getting jobs. It would have been easy for Nelson Mandela to walk out of his prison cell, a seething cauldron of revenge. But Mandela tells how after he was put in jail, he knew he had to make a decision. As he saw it, he could either spend his time in jail hating all the people who put him there, or he could choose something else. He chose instead to respect those he came into contact with each day, and it made all the difference in the world. And because of the suffering he endured and his ability to forgive his enemies, Mandela gained a great deal of moral authority that enabled him to lead his country peacefully out of apartheid when almost everyone had anticipated a bloodbath. At his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa, one of those prison guards was Mandela's special guest. Mandela found that loving one's enemies actually works. John Pichappilly in 'The Table of the Word' Hatred is like poison Two farmers, John and James, were good friends until a dispute arose between them over a piece of land. Unable to settle the issue among themselves, they went to court over it. The court decided in favour of John. James was bitter, and put poison in John's well, not a fatal dose, but enough to give it an obnoxious taste. John was very angry and was about to go by night and poison James' well when a stranger arrived at his house. On hearing the story the stranger agreed that it was a pretty nasty situation, but he wouldn't agree with retaliation. "Poison is not a thing to play around with", he declared. "I've a better idea. I'll show you in the morning." His idea was to clean out the well. He offered to help. Reluctantly John agreed. It was a messy business and took them two whole days. Then they ran the fresh water, drank it, and declared that it was clean, John also drank from the well, but insisted that he could still taste the poison. To which the stranger replied, "Take it from me, the water is perfect. But you will continue to taste the poison until you do one more thing." "What's that?" asked John earnestly. "You must forgive your neighbour. You have got rid of the poison from the well, but not the poison that lodges in your mind and heart. Not until you let go of your bitterness, and forgive your brother, will the water taste right." That evening John went over to his neighbour and made peace with him. When he came back he tasted the water again. This time it tasted good. Flor McCarthy in 'New Sunday& Holy Day Liturgies' May we strive to be like our Father in heaven, more forgiving more loving! Fr. Jude Botelho [email protected] PS. The stories, incidents and anecdotes used in the reflections have been collected over the years from books as well as from sources over the net and from e-mails received. Every effort is made to acknowledge authors whenever possible. If you send in stories or illustrations I would be grateful if you could quote the source as well so that they can be acknowledged if used in these reflections. These reflections are also available on my Web site www.NetForLife.net Thank you.
