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CONVENTION OF THE GOAN DIASPORA FROM GOA INTO THE WORLD
Lisbon, Portugal June 15-17, 2007 Details at:
http://www.casadegoa.org
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10-Jun-2007
Dear Friend,
Often in life we have double standards for judging our own actions and those
of others. When others fail we demand justice! "They should be punished and
made to pay for their misdeeds!" When we fail, we excuse our fault as human
error. Thank God, He always forgives! Have a wonderful weekend celebrating his
mercy! Fr. Jude
Sunday Reflections: Eleventh Sunday of the Year You are forgiven
17-Jun-07
Readings: Samuel 12: 7-10, 13; Galatians 2:16,19-21; Luke 7:36-8:3;
Today's first reading speaks of David's misdeeds and sins for which he is
confronted by the prophet Nathan. Not content with entertaining an adulterous
affair with Bathsheba, David went so far as to plot the murder of her husband
Uriah in order to cover up his sin. David as king had the responsibility to see
that justice prevailed; instead he had committed grave injustice and fallen
into deepest moral misery. However, roused by the prophet's words, he
recognizes and admits his sin and at the same time recognizes God's divine
mercy towards him. Because of God's forgiveness he will not die in his sin but
will be given a chance to live.
Under the Volcano
In the movie Under the Volcano , Albert Finney plays a British diplomat in
South America. His personal life and career have been at a steady downgrade. He
is an alcoholic and his wife has left him and he's been assigned to a remote
diplomatic office. His wife returns to help him salvage his life before he
destroys himself completely. But the diplomat comes to a tragic end, not
because he dies an alcoholic at the hands of violent men, but because he dies
without being able to accept his wife's loving forgiveness or to forgive
himself. Forgiveness is the subject of today's readings from Scripture. The
Old Testament reading tells how Nathan confronts King David with his sin of
adultery and murder, David acknowledges his guilt and is then forgiven by God.
His fall occasions a greater fidelity.
Albert Cylwicki in 'His Word Resounds'
In the second reading Paul reminds us that we are never justified before God
by our deeds or by mere observance of the law. Paul, through his own
experience, confesses that even the strictest observance of the law does not
set us free. We are challenged to live in Christ and through Christ by faith,
which alone sets us free and merits salvation. Christ's death has liberated us
and in Christ alone can we live. We live by His mercy.
The Power and the Glory
Graham Green wrote a powerful novel called The Power and the Glory. It involved
a priest who decided to remain with his flock, despite the great danger of the
persecution of Catholics in that country. Whether due to the pressure of his
situation, or just an inherent weakness, he took to the bottle, and was
alcoholic. He was in his prison cell. It was the morning of his execution. He
was lying on the floor, reaching out in vain to an empty brandy bottle that was
just beyond his reach. Suddenly, the situation in which he was, swept over him
like a tidal wave. Here he was about to face his Maker. This was not going to
be the kind of death he had hoped or prayed for. He was a failure, an
alcoholic, a disgrace to his calling. He tried to mutter an Act of Contrition,
but the words just wouldn't come. From where he was now, it was easy to see
that his life would have been so much better, and his death so much more
peaceful, if he had only made an effort to be a saint, instead of a
drunk and a failure. At that moment he believed that the only thing that
should ever have concerned him was his attempt to become a saint. It all seemed
so simple and easy now that it was too late. All he would have needed was a
little courage and a little self-control. He must have been filled with
amazing joy at the hug of welcome he received when he came face to face with
Jesus!
Jack McArdle in 'And that's the Gospel truth'
In the Gospel we are told of the meal encounter at Simon the Pharisee's
house. Jesus was invited to this meal and while he is enjoying the hospitality
and the meal spread out for him, a sinner woman comes into the house and falls
at his feet and weeping, wipes his feet with her hair and anoints them. Simon
the Pharisee is upset and taken aback both by the action of the woman and by
the behaviour of Jesus in allowing this to happen in his house. Simon the
Pharisee judges the tears and the kisses of the sinful woman unacceptable; by
accepting them Jesus put himself in a different category, beyond the pale of
human rituals. For the woman, those tears are the silent expression of sorrow
and thankfulness for the forgiveness she already senses. Jesus confirms her
intuition: God has forgiven her much; how would she not love in return? We
humans are quick to judge and go by externals; God goes beyond and knows our
innermost motives that control our actions. He just forgives.
Gift of Forgiveness
A religious man learned that a prostitute was doing business in the
neighbourhood. He found her house stood across the street and every time a
customer walked out, he placed a stone in a little pile, symbolizing the weight
and extent of her sins. Years later the prostitute died and soon afterwards so
did the man. When the man was shown his heavenly abode he was aghast to find a
heap of stones similar to the mound he had built to mark the prostitute's
wrongdoing. On the other side of the grey pile, he saw a magnificent estate
with rolling lawns and colourful gardens, where the prostitute strolled
joyfully. "There must be some mistake!" He railed. "That woman was a
prostitute, and I was a religious man." "There was no mistake," a voice
answered. "That prostitute hated her job, but it was the only way she knew to
make money to support herself and her young daughter. Every time she was with a
client she inwardly prayed, 'Dear God, please get me out of this.' You on the
other
hand were fascinated only with her sins. While she was talking to God, you
were talking to rocks. She got what she prayed for, and so did you."
John Rose in ''John's Sunday Homilies'
"During the meal given to Jesus by the Pharisee Simon, someone quite
unexpected came in: doubtless a prostitute rabbinical teaching said
prostitutes should be kept a distance of two yards. Perhaps she had been
following Jesus for some time. Now, anyway, she was prepared to change her way,
recognizing that Jesus had come for such a person as herself. She displayed
none of Simon's calculated reserve. Her tears have the freshness of sorrow,
flowing from her heart: by means of these tears, happy and sad all at once,
bliss opens up. Without knowing it she is worthy of pardon, Jesus is not
mistaken; after all he had won her before she had surrendered herself. Compared
to Simon, who believed he had little to do to obtain forgiveness, and so was
hard in his complacency, the woman is held by grace, and the love of God is
able to pierce her armour and change her heart of stone into a heart of flesh."
-Glenstall Bible Missal
Forgiven!
A young man secretly misappropriated several hundred dollars from the business
where he was employed. When the shortage was discovered the senior partner
called the young man into his office. Immediately he knew he would be fired and
sent into prison. His employer asked the worried man if he was guilty. He
replied that he was. Then the executive surprised him. "If I keep you in your
present capacity, can I trust you in the future?" he asked. "Yes sir, you
surely can. I've learned my lesson," replied the astonished employee. His boss
must have detected the repentant man's sincerity. "I'm not going to press
charges and you can continue in your present responsibility," he said. Then he
added, "I think you aught to know, however, that you are the second man in this
firm who succumbed to temptation but was shown leniency. I was the first. What
you have done, I did. The mercy you are receiving, I received. It is only the
grace of God that can keep us both," Isn't it true that
those who love best are those who know best that they are loved? Those who
forgive best are those who are forgiven. Our best efforts only reflect the
deep, deep love of God. But how they reflect!
Steve Goodier in 'QUOTE'
May we be forgiving as He is to us!
Fr. Jude Botelho
www.netforlife.net
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.
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