Too often we think of Jesus sermon on the plain (Luke 6) as prescriptions for getting to heaven (even though we ignore them). Instead, the b-attitudes are a set of descriptions of a free life. pic.twitter.com/ncJZax5ya3— Abigail Henrich (@henrich_abigail) February 23, 2018
The Book of Daniel tells of the shame of the prophet in the realization of how the choices made by the people of Israel had separated them from their culture and God.
* [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.In the Gospel from Luke, Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain declares that love of one’s neighbour is characterized by forgiveness and generosity.
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.Cindy Costanzo looks within and becomes aware that this ‘judgment’ of others ….is to sooth our own sense of failure, to reaffirm our own importance, and to gain back a sense of control.
We are human and today’s powerful message is a reminder of our own imperfect human-ness. I am grateful for God’s forgiveness and the forgiveness others extend to me when I sin. The ability to forgive and extend an olive branch translates to caring, compassion, and love. I am grateful for that love.Don Schwager asks what makes true disciples of Jesus Christ different from those who do not know the Lord Jesus and what makes Christianity distinct from any other religion? He understands it is grace - treating others not as they deserve, but as God wishes them to be treated - with forbearance, mercy, and loving-kindness. God shows his goodness to the unjust as well as to the just. His love embraces saint and sinner alike. He quotes The Practice of Mercy, by 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)Friar Jude Winkler comments on the desire for forgiveness expressed in the Book of Daniel. Forgiveness based on the need of the person to be forgiven is a practice that opens our heart to accept forgiveness.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that Love demands both give and take, which is what we mean by a “personal” God. And this is exactly what people of deep prayer invariably experience—an inner dialogue of give and take, of giving and being received.
The mystics consistently use words like mercy, forgiveness, faithfulness, and healing to describe what they experience as God. These all imply a God who does not just impose rules, but in fact changes them for us! If God is Trinity, then God is Absolute Relationship, even inside of God. And every time God forgives, God is saying that relationship is more important than God’s own rules! Did you ever think about that?Mercy, forgiveness, faithfulness, and healing are experiences of God that we become more likely to know when we practice them with others.
References
(n.d.). Daniel, chapter 9 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved February 26, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/daniel/9
(n.d.). Luke, chapter 6 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved February 26, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/6
(n.d.). Online Ministries - Creighton University. Retrieved February 26, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/online.html
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 26, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 26, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/
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