The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to practice the Gospel call to love our enemies in a tangible way. The reading from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians advises the community about eating food offered to idols. Psalm 139 praises the inescapable God. In the Sermon on the Plain of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus calls for love for enemies and judging others. Julie Kalkowski comments that learning to be merciful or to stop condemning takes a long time. Don Schwager quotes “The virtue of charity,” by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D. The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 6:27-38 comments that we seem to be “wired” for getting even. If someone hurts us, our instinctive reaction is to want to hurt them back. So how on earth can we love our enemies as Jesus asks us to? Friar Jude Winkler fleshes out the situation in Corinth concerning eating meat and not scandalizing some in the community. Our Obligation to others sometimes calls us to give up our personal rights. Friar Jude reminds us not to judge persons but to judge actions. Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that when human beings admit to one another “the exact nature of our wrongs,” as the Twelve Steps recommend, we invariably have a human and humanizing encounter that deeply enriches both sides. It is no longer an exercise to achieve moral purity, or regain God’s love, but in fact a direct encounter with God’s love. It is not about punishing one side but liberating both sides. Robert Yazzie, Chief Justice Emeritus of the Navajo Nation, speaks from his Diné tradition about “talking out the problem” as a necessary step towards healing justice. Avoid scandalizing brothers and sisters, love our enemies, and do not judge other people are Christian actions in which we need to call on the Spirit for guidance and strength.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment