14 February, 2007
Bible Reading for coming Sunday, Lent Reflection.
I found this very helpful and am passing it on to you.
Dear Friend,
Most people believe in being just and fair to others. By that they
understand that if someone is nice and polite to you be good and
polite in return. But if someone hurts me I have every right to
retaliate. This seems to be logical but Jesus challenges us to go
beyond logic. The only way open to a Christian is a challenging one.
Respond to hurt and hatred with love. Only by that can we break the
chain reaction of revenge that never ends. Have a forgiving weekend!
Sunday Reflections: Seventh Sunday, Loving beyond the limit! 18-Feb-2007
Readings: Samuel 26:2,7-9, 12-13, 22-23; 1Cor. 15: 45-49; Luke 6:17,27-38;
In today's first reading the leading figures are King Saul and his
servant David. Saul was the first king of Israel but was afflicted by
war and internal division. Saul's power gradually declined as David
found favour with the Lord and the people. Saul needed David whose
music calmed him. But his prowess in battle provoked jealousy in Saul.
When the people praised David at the expense of Saul he resolved to
kill him though he was his own son-in-law, having married one of his
daughters. He made several attempts though David escaped because of
being warned by the kings own family members. Hunted and in exile
David still loved Saul and never sought to harm him. In today's
reading David steals into Saul's tent while he is asleep and strikes
his spear in the ground beside Saul's head, to indicate that he could
have killed him but spared his life. Paul is puzzled by David's
loyalty to him. David believes that he has no right to strike against
the Lord?s anointed one. He is unwilling to justify murder and is
blessed and rewarded for this act of kindness towards his enemy.
Love your enemies! Corrie Ten Boom was a Christian Jew living in
Holland during the Nazi occupation of that country. One night a man
came to her family home in great panic and terror. He told her that he
and his family were going to be taken away by the Nazis. The only hope
that he had was that he might be able to bribe the police that they
might be left unharmed. He begged for some valuable objects to effect
the bribe. He was given whatever the family could possibly give, and
he left. It was a trick because he went straight to the Nazi police,
and reported them for assisting in his proposed escape. Corrie and all
her family were arrested, and they ended in a German concentrated
camp. All her family died there, and she was the only survivor. Later
when she returned home, she spent a considerable length of time
tracking down the man who had betrayed them. She eventually did so.
Her only reason for wanting to meet him was that, for her own peace
of mind she needed to forgive him. She felt that it was only through
forgiveness, and not resentment, that she could continue to live in
freedom.
In his letter to the Corinthians Paul stresses the constant struggle
that we experience in ourselves as we try to live our faith
commitment. Heirs of the earth through Adam and of heaven through
Christ, we experience the tension between what weighs us down and the
Spirit that would raise us up. Only Jesus Christ our Saviour, who
received life from the Father, and gave it to us, can assure us of
victory. In today's Gospel reading Jesus speaks of something that
makes his teaching different from all others. He asks his disciples to
follow the imperative of loving generously to the point of loving and
forgiving even those who hurt and hate us. Love your enemies, do good
to those who
hate you, and bless those who curse you and pray for those who treat
you badly.
Jesus does not ask his disciples to fall in love with
their enemies, that would be wholly unrealistic. However, the followers are
challenged to be determined about their enemies welfare, to be
stubbornly gracious, and refuse to pay back violence with violence.
Hatred can be defeated not by revenge, the law of the jungle, but only
by love; injury can be healed only by forgiveness; evil can be
controlled only by goodness. Jesus lists common ways that people think
is sensible conduct towards our neighbour: loving those who love you,
doing good to those who do good to you, lending money to those from
whom you expect to be paid back.
But Jesus says ** that's not enough**.
Only if we love our enemies and expect nothing back will we be acting
like God. Jesus' standard of comparison is God. His followers must
become children of the Most High, manifesting the life of God among
humankind.
Life is an echo. There is a famous story about a foolish man who
heard that Buddha taught that you should never return evil for evil.
One day the man met Buddha and decided to see if Buddha actually
practiced what he preached. The man began to heap all kinds of verbal
abuse upon the great teacher, shouting at him and calling him a stupid
fool. All the while Buddha listened patiently. When the man ran out of
things to say, Buddha said to him, "My son, if a man declines to
accept a gift from another, to whom does the gift go?" The man replied
scornfully, Any fool knows that. The gift goes back to the giver! 'My
son,' said Buddha, 'you have just given me much verbal abuse.I decline
to accept your gift.' The man made no reply. Then Buddha said further:
'My son, a man who slanders a virtuous person is like a man who spits
at the sky. The spittle doesn't soil the sky. It only comes back to
soil the face of the man who spat. A man who slanders a virtuous
person is like a man who flings dust into the wind. The dust doesn't
reach its target. It only blows back into the face of the man who
threw it. 'A person gets back from life exactly what the person give
to life. Life is an echo. Give abuse and you will get abuse. Give love
and you will get back love back.'
Love your enemies, do good to those
who hate you. We must recognize that it really is a question of loving
without any limits: loving others, wishing them well even if their
well-being is at the expense of our own. Our love then as well must be
given freely, without any calculation, without looking for returns!
Our love must be clear-eyed, not basing itself on our assessment of
good or ill, but cherishing each person for what is unique, and in the
last analysis, what is redeemed in them. Our love must be prepared not
to have the last word, to be duped even, to give without counting the
cost. Mercy must always weigh more in our scales, until the time comes
when you will experience in yourself the mercy God feels towards the
world.
Film: As Good As It Gets. Melvin Udall is a reclusive writer who lives
in New York. He is plagued with obsessive-compulsive phobias and
exhibits bigotry towards all minorities. He continually mocks his gay
artist neighbour, Simon and loathes Simon's dog. At the local
restaurant, where he eats breakfast everyday he is dependant on his
favourite waitress, Carol to serve him, because she tolerates his
boorish behaviour. When Simon is assaulted by robbers and hospitalized
he is forced to take care of the dog. To his surprise and pleasure,
Melvin starts to grow attached to the animal. One day Carol misses
work because her son is ill. Because the other waitresses avoid him,
Melvin arranges to have a good doctor care for the boy so that Carol
can come back to the restaurant. Carol is suspicious of his generosity
but accepts it in the end. Melvin gradually befriends Simon and
arranges to drive him to see his parents for financial help. Simon
rediscovers his painting abilities and does a portrait of Carol. She
becomes angry with Melvin on a trip because he is so obtuse. Melvin
listens to Simon's advice. He goes to Carol to express his love for
her. ? Early in the movie Melvin asks: 'Is this as good as it gets?'
It does in fact get better. Melvin, Carol and Simon gradually change.
Each, in their own way, show great compassion. By the end of the film
the characters stop judging one another and accept one another.
May we forgive others as God forgives us!
Sr. Margaret Correa
 
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YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Vincenta Maria Social Services Society
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