8-June-2008
Dear Friend,
We all have had, sometime or another, the experience of being chosen, of being
selected for a task, for an assignment, for a job. We feel good about being
chosen and believe we are chosen because of our capabilities, talents and
special expertise. We sometimes tend to believe that we are better than others
and we might well be. Unlike human choices, God’s choice of human beings for a
special calling is different. He calls us, and chooses us not because we are
specially gifted but because but because he loves us and can do something with
us and through us. In particular, we are called to be compassionate and loving
like him! Have an enjoyable weekend relishing God’s choice of you! -Fr. Jude
Sunday Reflections: Eleventh Sunday of the Year -‘Called to compassion and
love’ 15-June-2008
Readings: Exodus 19: 2-6; Romans 5:
6-11; Matthew 9:36 -10:8;
This first reading from Exodus recalls the promise of the Covenant made by
Yahweh with the people of Israel on their arrival at Mt. Sinai. Until the
covenant the Israelites were a loose gathering of the tribes of Israel but
Yahweh binds them into one people, his people. He will be their God and they
will be his people. The initiative of this covenant is solely Yahweh’s. Both
parties of the covenant are expected to keep the covenant. Today’s reading
reminds the people that if they keep the Law of Moses and observe the
commandments of the law they will be blessed and will prosper. “You will be of
all people my very own and I will count you as a kingdom of priests, a
consecrated nation.” The choice of Israel did not exclude other peoples, but it
would be through Israel that they would to receive many blessings.
Two Brothers
Two brothers worked together on the family farm. One was married and had a
large family. The other was single. At the day’s end, the brothers shared
everything equally, produce and profit. Then one day the single brother said to
himself, “It is not right that we should share equally the produce and profit.
I am alone and my needs are simple.” So each night he took a sack of grain from
his bin and crept across the field between their houses, dumping it into his
brother’s bin. Meanwhile, the married brother said to himself, “It’s not right
that we should share the produce and the profit equally. After all, I’m married
and have my wife and children to look after me in years to come. My brother has
no one, and no one to take care of his future.” So each night he took a sack of
grain and dumped it into his single brother’s bin. Both men were puzzled for
years because their supply of grain never dwindled. Then one night the two
brothers
bumped into each other. Slowly it dawned on them what was happening. They
dropped their sacks and embraced one another.
Author Unknown from ‘More Sower’s Seeds by Brian Cavanaugh’
In the reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, Paul tells his readers
that God showed his great love and compassion for us by the fact that Christ
died for us while we were still sinners. Paul says it is not easy to die even
for a good person. How difficult then to die for a bad person. To be loved in
one’s goodness is no big deal. It’s no more than one deserves. But to be loved
in one’s badness is a wonderful experience. The task of a Christian is not to
win God’s love but to respond to it. And the best kind of response is to love
people in their faults and sins. Our task is a simple one: to show the
compassion of God towards others.
Loved Unconditionally
Peter is a very loveable man. Now in his sixties, he is amiable, good humoured,
kind and generous. He doesn’t draw attention to himself. He is just a wonderful
presence. Smiling and laughing, talking and mixing, he puts people at ease. His
one and only aim seems to be that of helping others. He has no thought for
himself. But he wasn’t always like that. A few years ago he was almost the
exact opposite. He was an alcoholic and his presence was an embarrassment to
his family. He was drunk from early in the day. He seems to be interested in
nobody but himself. He was incapable of helping anybody. People avoided him or
talked with him as little as possible. To make matters worse he could be nasty
when he was drunk. It is easy to love him now that his life has turned around
but it wasn’t easy in those old days when he was still drinking. In truth, it
was almost impossible. Yet, all through those dark years of his drinking, his
wife and family continued
to love him. It was their love and concern for him that eventually enabled him
to face his problem and go and look for help. It was their love that brought
him around.
Flor McCarthy in ‘New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies’
In today’s gospel we see Jesus’ compassion towards his disciples, followers,
and all the people. The religious leaders of his time had nothing to offer the
ordinary people in their suffering –neither guidance, nor comfort, nor
strength. In fact they didn’t care for them. But Jesus was different from the
religious leaders of his day. He cared and was deeply moved by the plight of
the people. When he looked at ordinary people he didn’t see a crowd but a
collection of individuals, with their needs and worries and concerns. And far
from despising them, he had compassion on them, precisely because they were
wounded and in need. He freely mixed with them and gave himself to them first
of all. But then knowing how great the harvest was, he decided to recruit
helpers. Today’s gospel reminds us that from his helpers he chose twelve to be
his friends and companions in a special way. They were from different
backgrounds, and none of them was trained.
Each had his own character, foibles, weaknesses and strengths. There were
tensions and rivalries between them. Jesus loved his apostles and they in turn
loved him. He trained them, not in a formal way but by living with them,
walking with them, and being a model for them. They learned to do things as he
did them. Then he sent them out to others. They knew what their mission was: to
be agents of his compassion to others. They were to show the compassionate face
of the Father to all peoples, especially the poor and suffering. Today Jesus
depends on us. To be his apostles it is not necessary to be an exceptional
person but it is necessary to let Jesus do exceptional things through us.
What one needs is the willingness to let God work in us and through us, to let
him touch our hearts so that we become compassionate people like him. The
apostles had obvious faults and weaknesses. Jesus chose just twelve ordinary
people. But Jesus saw goodness in each of them, even in Judas. Choice is a
privilege and an honour, but it is also a responsibility. The apostles were
chosen for a task, -to help Jesus with the harvest. And through baptism, we too
are chosen. Though the harvest is immense, there is no need to be discouraged.
We can’t do everything but we can do something.
JordanManagement Consultants Report….
“It is the opinion of the staff that most of your nominees are lacking in
background, education and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you
are undertaking. Besides, they do not have the team concept. We have found
ample evidence of jealousy and rivalry among them. Simon Peter is emotionally
unstable and given to fits of temper –definitely not the man you would want to
head your organization. Andrew has absolutely no qualities of leadership. He is
just a follower. The two brothers, James and John are too hot-headed. Besides,
they place personal interest above company loyalty. Thomas demonstrates a
questioning attitude that would undermine morale. Matthew the tax collector is
undoubtedly a man of ability but would project the wrong image for an
organization as yours. James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus have radical
leanings, hence, their unsuitability. There is one of the candidates, however,
who has shown great potential. He is a man of
ability and resourcefulness, good with people, has a keen business mind, and
has contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious and responsible.
That man is Judas Iscariot. We recommend him as your controller and right hand
man.”
Anonymous
Film –The Fisher King (1991)
This excellent movie is an exploration of the way in which the central
character, a shock-jock radio host, seeks forgiveness, having unwittingly
incited a man to commit a massacre in a restaurant. He meets someone who has
suffered a breakdown as a result of witnessing the massacre and tries in all
sorts of ways to free himself of his own sense of guilt. The man he has met
(played by Robin Williams) is convinced that the DJ has been sent to bring him
a silver cup (actually a sporting trophy), which he thinks is the Holy Grail.
The Robin Williams character repeatedly calls him to this task, but
he dismisses it as ridiculous. Finally, though, when Robin Williams falls into
a catatonic state, he realizes that, simply because he needs the 'grail' to get
better he will retrieve it. It strikes me as relevant to the theme of 'call'
because of the way in which it is circumstance which compels him, eventually,
to do something only he can do. The act he is
called to is ridiculous, but it is the doing of it which is really important.
In fulfilling his 'call', by doing something out of simple love, he not only
heals someone else, but finds the freedom he has been seeking for himself.
Anonymous
But You Didn’t
I looked at you and smiled the other day
I thought you’d see me but you didn’t
I said “I love you” and waited for what you would say
I thought you’d heard me but you didn’t
I asked you to come outside and play ball with me
I thought you’d follow but you didn’t
I drew a picture just for you to see
I thought you’d save it but you didn’t
I made a fort for us back in the woods
I thought you’d camp with me but you didn’t
I found some worms’n such for fishing if we could
I thought you’d want to go but you didn’t
I needed you just to talk to, my thoughts to share
I thought you’d want to but you didn’t
I told you about the game hoping you’d be there
I thought you’d surely come but you didn’t
I asked you to share my youth with me
I thought you’d want to but you couldn’t
My country called me to war, you asked me to come home safely
But I didn’t.
Stan Gebhardt in “A 2nd Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul”
May we grow in compassion and care for others like Jesus!
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.
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