VIII Sunday of the Year

JUDGE NOT

Sirach 27:4-7; 1 Corinthians 15:54-58; Luke 6:39-45

Readings for the VIII Sunday of the Year

A friar in a monastery committed a fault. The superior called the council to decide the punishment. The council assembled, but Friar Joseph, a senior monk, was missing. The superior called for him. When Friar Joseph came, he was carrying a leaking jug! The others asked him what it meant. He said: “My sins run out behind me, but I do not see them. And today I am coming to judge the error of another?”

This anecdote sums up the thrust of today’s liturgy: judge not.

The gospel is a continuation of the Sermon on the Plain and Jesus’ injunction to not judge. What Jesus forbids is not judgment per se, but negative/destructive judgment. Our judgments should be like those of Jesus: judging to save and help, not to knock down and destroy.

We ought not to pass judgment unless we have some understanding of the person and his/her situation, and without an awareness of our own faults. Much of our criticism is, perhaps, a form of self-defence or a pre-emptive strike! To offset our feeling of insecurity, we pull others down.

However, “judge not” is not a cover for immoral behaviour; not a prohibition on admonishing others; not an endorsement of moral relativism. It is an elaboration of the Golden Rule. Given that God will judge us, what kind of judgment do we want? We want a judgment done with mercy, compassion, and forgiveness. That’s the way we ought to treat others: with mercy and compassion.

Do I see the worst or the best about others? When I judge others, am I aware of my faults and shortcomings? Am I merciful and compassionate?

After a pastor preached on spiritual gifts, a lady told him: “Pastor, I believe I have the talent of criticism.” He asked her: “Remember the person in Jesus’ parable who had the one talent? Do you recall what he did with it?” She replied: “Yes, he went out and buried it.” With a smile, the pastor suggested: “Go thou, and do likewise!” 

May we bury our negative and destructive criticism and use our gifts of love and compassion.

VII Sunday of the Year

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES

1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23; 1 Corinthians 15:45-49; Luke 6:27-38

Readings for the VII Sunday of the Year

Martin Luther King Jr wrote (in/from jail!) about loving your enemies: “This is not practical; life is a matter of getting even, of hitting back… We have followed the so-called practical way for too long, and it has led inexorably to deeper confusion and chaos. Time is cluttered with the wreckage of communities which surrendered to hatred and violence. For the salvation of our nation and the salvation of humankind, we must follow another way. This does not mean that we abandon our righteous efforts. With every ounce of our energy, we must continue to rid this nation of the incubus of segregation. But we shall not in the process relinquish our privilege and our obligation to love. While abhorring segregation, we shall love the segregationist. This is the only way to create the beloved community.”

Luther was commenting on the “impractical” way Jesus preached in his sermon on the plain.

Love of enemies is contrary to every natural impulse. Jesus teaches us to remain loving even when others treat us in an unloving manner. There will be times when we need to protect ourselves against evil. But in and with love.

A massive challenge! How can we love people who have hurt/ oppressed us? How can we love our enemies when everything inside us makes us want to hurt them back as they have hurt us?

The response, indicated by scripture and by the life of Jesus, is that we can love those for whom we feel no love when we decide to do so. Love is not a feeling; it is a choice and a decision… to do right even when wronged; to do good even when bad is done; to bless even when cursed; to forgive even when condemned.

Love is a commitment to the good of another. We have an example in the First Reading: David refuses to harm Saul; he refuses to put a spear through the heart of his sleeping enemy. 

How do we love our enemies when we do not feel like loving them? In the way that we awaken in the morning when we feel like sleeping; in the way that we work when we feel like relaxing. We just do it. We decide and then follow through. Authentic love is hard work!

Who are my enemies I need to love? Will I choose and decide to love them and follow through on that decision? How will I manifest my love for them?

VI Sunday of the Year

BLESSED VERSUS CURSED

Jeremiah 17:5-8; 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20; Luke 6:17, 20-26

Readings for the VI Sunday of the Year

A preacher asked for a show of hands from all in the congregation who would love to be poor, hungry, weeping, and hated. No hand went up. Then he asked of those who would love to be rich, well fed, laughing, and well-spoken of. All hands went up. What would my response be?

Popular culture is quick to counsel us that we will be happy if only we can get that latest gadget, the new house, the swankiest vehicle, and so on.  It is seductive.

Yet, in today’s Gospel, Jesus declares a blessing on those who are poor, hungry, weeping, and hated. He then pronounces a woe on those who are rich, well fed, laughing, and well-spoken of. 

Does Jesus mean poverty is a sign of divine approval and prosperity a sign of divine disapproval? Certainly, not! Poverty, hunger, weeping, and hatred are all misfortunes; no good parents would want these for their children. Neither would God, our loving parent, want these for us. 

How are we then to understand the beatitudes? 

The first key is at the end of the last beatitude: “on account of the Son of Man.” Those who accept these as the price for following Jesus are the blessed ones. The passage immediately preceding today’s gospel is the call of the twelve. Today’s text is like an appointment letter; it has the terms and conditions of being apostles! The beatitudes are the direct consequences of discipleship. To be an apostle of Jesus meant instant membership in the club of the poor, the hated, the reviled, the excluded.

The second key is in understanding “poor”. The poor are the ‘anawim’ – a small group of people who, despite difficulties and trials, have been faithful to God’s covenant. They have no resources to meet their needs, recognize their total dependence on God, and trust in him. Those who are ‘blessed’ have put their trust in God; those to whom Jesus says ‘woe’ trust in the material. 

Jeremiah prophesies in the first reading: “cursed is the man who trusts in humans… blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord.”

The liturgy today challenges us with choices: blessed vs cursed; trust in God vs trust in myself. What’s my choice?

V Sunday of the Year

CALLING-QUALIFYING THE UNWORTHY-BUT-AVAILABLE

Isaiah 6:1-2a, 3-8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11

Readings for the V Sunday of the Year

In a certain church there was a man in the choir who couldn’t sing well. The conductor suggested that he leave the choir. He wouldn’t budge. The conductor complained to the pastor: “You’ve got to get that man out of the choir; else I’m resigning.” The pastor spoke with the man: “Perhaps you should leave the choir.” The man asked: “Why?” The pastor said: “Four or five people have told me you can’t sing.” The main replied: “That’s nothing! Fifty people have told me you can’t preach!” 

Competence is not a criterion the Lord uses when he calls people. Today’s readings show us that God uses the most unlikely people to fulfil his purpose. The readings describe the call of Isaiah, of Paul, of Peter and his coworkers. They all felt unworthy in God’s presence. 

When they confessed their inadequacy before God, God made them ready to serve him. A seraph touched Isaiah’s lips with a burning coal from the altar and said: “Your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” To Simon Peter, Jesus said: “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” 

Availability and the readiness to follow God’s directives are other qualities that these three have in common. Isaiah promptly responded to the Lord: “Here am I; send me!” Paul was full of zeal and worked harder than all those who were called before him. Peter and his partners “left everything and followed” Jesus.

When we follow the guidance of the Lord, we achieve mind-blowing results. Peter and his men toiled all night long and caught nothing. When they followed the Lord’s guidance which, humanly speaking, did not make much sense (fishermen did not set the net in broad daylight), the result was a miraculous haul of fish.

The Lord continues to ask: “Whom shall I send?” He still needs messengers (like Isaiah) to proclaim his Good News in the temple; (like Paul) to announce it in foreign lands; (like Peter) to speak for him in the workplace and bring one’s co-workers to follow the Lord. 

I may feel unworthy and incompetent for the work of God. But… am I available? If so, the Lord will qualify me for his mission, as he did with Isaiah, Paul, and Peter.