The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to examine our interaction with others that may be shaped by bias that clouds judgement and reduces our mercy and generosity toward them.
Mercy and generosity
The reading from the Book of Daniel expresses open shame falls on the people of Judah.
* [9:2] Seventy years: Jeremiah was understood to prophesy a Babylonian captivity of seventy years, a round number signifying the complete passing away of the existing generation (Jer 25:11; 29:10). On this view Jeremiah’s prophecy was seen to be fulfilled in the capture of Babylon by Cyrus and the subsequent return of the Jews to Palestine. However, the author of Daniel, living during the persecution of Antiochus, extends Jeremiah’s number to seventy weeks of years (Dn 9:24), i.e., seven times seventy years, to encompass the period of Seleucid persecution.1
Psalm 79 is a plea for mercy for Jerusalem.
* [Psalm 79] A communal lament complaining that the nations have defiled the Temple and murdered the holy people, leaving their corpses unburied (Ps 79:1–4). The occasion is probably the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army in 587 B.C. The people ask how long the withdrawal of divine favor will last (Ps 79:5), pray for action now (Ps 79:6–7), and admit that their own sins have brought about the catastrophe (Ps 79:8–9). They seek to persuade God to act for reasons of honor: the nations who do not call upon the Name are running amok (Ps 79:6); the divine honor is compromised (Ps 79:1, 10, 12); God’s own servants suffer (Ps 79:2–4, 11).2
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus warns us against judging others.
* [6:20–49] Luke’s “Sermon on the Plain” is the counterpart to Matthew’s “Sermon on the Mount” (Mt 5:1–7:27). It is addressed to the disciples of Jesus, and, like the sermon in Matthew, it begins with beatitudes (Lk 6:20–22) and ends with the parable of the two houses (Lk 6:46–49). Almost all the words of Jesus reported by Luke are found in Matthew’s version, but because Matthew includes sayings that were related to specifically Jewish Christian problems (e.g., Mt 5:17–20; 6:1–8, 16–18) that Luke did not find appropriate for his predominantly Gentile Christian audience, the “Sermon on the Mount” is considerably longer. Luke’s sermon may be outlined as follows: an introduction consisting of blessings and woes (Lk 6:20–26); the love of one’s enemies (Lk 6:27–36); the demands of loving one’s neighbor (Lk 6:37–42); good deeds as proof of one’s goodness (Lk 6:43–45); a parable illustrating the result of listening to and acting on the words of Jesus (Lk 6:46–49). At the core of the sermon is Jesus’ teaching on the love of one’s enemies (Lk 6:27–36) that has as its source of motivation God’s graciousness and compassion for all humanity (Lk 6:35–36) and Jesus’ teaching on the love of one’s neighbor (Lk 6:37–42) that is characterized by forgiveness and generosity.3
Tom Shanahan, SJ, comments that among many other foibles, we are judgmental and condemning of others. Lent shines God’s light of love on us and calls us to recognize/realize our obvious need for our God who rescues us from a tendency to move away from God.
So, it seems that the readings given to us today are a kind of conspiracy that helps us to take honest stock of ourselves. Taking stock allows us to focus on God’s desire to love us as we are and to let God’s grounding love be the center of our life and love. Gracious and Merciful God, help us to be open to your life-giving love. Thank you for the opportunity Lent affords us. You invite us to be blessed by your love as it shows in its relationship with You (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and with brothers and sisters who cry out for your care and rescue. Thank You for your call to service to you and to our sisters and brothers. Keep us faithful to you and to your word!4
Don Schwager quotes “The Practice of Mercy,” by Saint Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"The practice of mercy is twofold: when vengeance is sacrificed and when compassion is shown. The Lord included both of these in his brief sentence: 'Forgive, and you shall be forgiven; give, and it shall be given to you.' This work has the effect of purifying the heart, so that, even under the limitations of this life, we are enabled with pure mind to see the immutable reality of God. There is something holding us back, which has to be loosed so that our sight may break through to the light. In connection with this the Lord said, 'Give alms, and behold, all things are clean to you.' Therefore the next and sixth step is that cleansing of the heart." (excerpt from Letter 171A.2)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 6:36-38 comments that God does not give stingily to us—he gives “a good measure” of mercy, "packed together, shaken down, and overflowing” (Luke 6:38). And he gives this way even though we don’t deserve it.
So whenever you want to judge or condemn, whenever you feel hurt or rejected, he calls you to forgive in an overabundant way. Today, thank God for his mercy to you. Even more, ask the Holy Spirit to help you give this kind of “good measure” to someone else. For some offense against you, whether real or perceived, bring your hurt, indignation, or humiliation to Jesus. Ask him for the grace to forgive the other person, and imagine pouring your forgiveness lavishly on them, exactly the way you want to receive mercy from God. “Jesus, teach me to be merciful as my heavenly Father is merciful.”6
Friar Jude Winkler explains that Daniel’s prayer was written during the time of the Seleucid persecution. We are merciful to love those who hurt us because it is a symptom of underlying brokenness. Friar Jude connects our willingness to forgive to the openness of our heart to accept love.
CAC faculty member Brian McLaren has done thoughtful and helpful research about what makes us see things so differently from one another. He identified thirteen biases. Being a former pastor and an excellent communicator, Brian found a way to make these complex ways of seeing simple and memorable.
Fr. Richard does not know any other way to be free of all these biases except through the contemplative mind. 7
God is mercy and our growth to full life involves awareness of the bias in our judgements that reduce our generosity to others.
References
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