originally: THURSDAY, MARCH
18, 2010
Its been silent and empty here this week, so I thought I’d share
some of my own Lenten thoughts. They are long –but it appears we’ve got time:
I came across the quote at the bottom of this post in Poem of the Man-God the other day and it struck me as so simple and yet so profound. The only way to total peace and total happiness is Love, as Jesus calls us to live in the Gospel. We all know it is easy to love people who love us, flatter us, understand us, help us, support us or think highly of us. Our emotion of love in these situations is not an act of the will in as much as a natural human reaction to praise, love, and even the pleasure of being loved. But true Love is only achieved and lived in the crucible of suffering and sacrifice. It is when we love in situations that are most difficult for us to love that we truly imitate Jesus’ example to us on the Cross and His call to us in the Gospel.
The answer to all of our human problems in relationships begins with ourselves –not with the ‘others’ who seem easier to blame. It begins with our lack of humility in not admitting that maybe we are not as perfect and innocent as we are tempted to think when confronted with someone who hurts us. How many times I have thanked God for 'enemies' who have revealed sins and weaknesses to me, which I have then been able to bring to God in Confession. And the answer to our problems –beginning with humility –ends in simple, Christian Gospel love and forgiveness. Humility, Christian Love and Forgiveness is the only way to find peace, to offer grace to those who hurt us so they can become more holy and to remain ourselves united with God –for when we refuse to truly love, accept, forgive, pray and fast for those who cause suffering in our lives, we are also refusing God’s mercy and forgiveness of our sins. It is in the Gospel:
Luke 6:27-42 Jesus says: “But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit (is) that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as (also) your Father is merciful.
Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you." And he told them a parable, "Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,' when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye.”
The answer to our life’s problems (most of which are caused by people) is so simple, and yet so profound! Jesus says in Matthew the same thing! And as Christians Jesus not only asks it of us, but helps us by DEMANDING it of us –to be His child and to receive His forgiveness and the gift of redemption we must open our hearts to living His commands. We must prove to Jesus that we want His mercy, by living His great, perfect merciful, forgiving Love to all those we meet.
Humans don’t understand each other all the time. We can’t see into each others’ lives as God sees and we judge based on our own feelings or interpretations of others’ actions –instead of as God sees the intentions of the heart. Because of this, we are poor judges of others –and easily offended when we try to love in a superficial way (only when it is ‘easy’ or ‘pleasurable’ for us) and then reach a struggle. But God’s eyes are different from ours –He always sees us through the lens of His Love and this Love shows truth. He sees the big picture people live –the most hidden parts of their lives and thoughts that give birth to actions we just might not ‘get’ sometimes. But that is why it is so wonderful that we will stand before Him to judge us someday –and not each other. When we truly strive to love with all our hearts –then even if we fail in human weakness at least God knows that we are trying, asking forgiveness and getting up to try again.
God knows that humans will not always be easy for each other. We are all wounded and so we all in one degree or another wound others. We ALL are in need of God’s great mercy and forgiveness, but we are only capable of receiving this gift of mercy to the degree to show it to others. God purposefully puts others’ wounds close to us –allowing them to ‘irritate’ our emotions –in order to test and refine our love and in order to help us live the mercy we so desperately need to ask Him for. And so we should embrace such difficult encounters with LOVE and JOY –because Jesus says that we are blessed in such situations –if we can react to them as He demands we do as Christians. He said:
I came across the quote at the bottom of this post in Poem of the Man-God the other day and it struck me as so simple and yet so profound. The only way to total peace and total happiness is Love, as Jesus calls us to live in the Gospel. We all know it is easy to love people who love us, flatter us, understand us, help us, support us or think highly of us. Our emotion of love in these situations is not an act of the will in as much as a natural human reaction to praise, love, and even the pleasure of being loved. But true Love is only achieved and lived in the crucible of suffering and sacrifice. It is when we love in situations that are most difficult for us to love that we truly imitate Jesus’ example to us on the Cross and His call to us in the Gospel.
The answer to all of our human problems in relationships begins with ourselves –not with the ‘others’ who seem easier to blame. It begins with our lack of humility in not admitting that maybe we are not as perfect and innocent as we are tempted to think when confronted with someone who hurts us. How many times I have thanked God for 'enemies' who have revealed sins and weaknesses to me, which I have then been able to bring to God in Confession. And the answer to our problems –beginning with humility –ends in simple, Christian Gospel love and forgiveness. Humility, Christian Love and Forgiveness is the only way to find peace, to offer grace to those who hurt us so they can become more holy and to remain ourselves united with God –for when we refuse to truly love, accept, forgive, pray and fast for those who cause suffering in our lives, we are also refusing God’s mercy and forgiveness of our sins. It is in the Gospel:
Luke 6:27-42 Jesus says: “But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit (is) that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as (also) your Father is merciful.
Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you." And he told them a parable, "Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,' when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye.”
The answer to our life’s problems (most of which are caused by people) is so simple, and yet so profound! Jesus says in Matthew the same thing! And as Christians Jesus not only asks it of us, but helps us by DEMANDING it of us –to be His child and to receive His forgiveness and the gift of redemption we must open our hearts to living His commands. We must prove to Jesus that we want His mercy, by living His great, perfect merciful, forgiving Love to all those we meet.
Humans don’t understand each other all the time. We can’t see into each others’ lives as God sees and we judge based on our own feelings or interpretations of others’ actions –instead of as God sees the intentions of the heart. Because of this, we are poor judges of others –and easily offended when we try to love in a superficial way (only when it is ‘easy’ or ‘pleasurable’ for us) and then reach a struggle. But God’s eyes are different from ours –He always sees us through the lens of His Love and this Love shows truth. He sees the big picture people live –the most hidden parts of their lives and thoughts that give birth to actions we just might not ‘get’ sometimes. But that is why it is so wonderful that we will stand before Him to judge us someday –and not each other. When we truly strive to love with all our hearts –then even if we fail in human weakness at least God knows that we are trying, asking forgiveness and getting up to try again.
God knows that humans will not always be easy for each other. We are all wounded and so we all in one degree or another wound others. We ALL are in need of God’s great mercy and forgiveness, but we are only capable of receiving this gift of mercy to the degree to show it to others. God purposefully puts others’ wounds close to us –allowing them to ‘irritate’ our emotions –in order to test and refine our love and in order to help us live the mercy we so desperately need to ask Him for. And so we should embrace such difficult encounters with LOVE and JOY –because Jesus says that we are blessed in such situations –if we can react to them as He demands we do as Christians. He said:
Luke 6: 20-26 “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.
But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.”
So, if someone rejects us, gossips about us, misjudges us, abandons us, mistreats us, misunderstands us, attacks us, ignores us, annoys us or hurts us –we must REJOICE and LEAP FOR JOY, for only in such situations can we truly show God how sorry we are for our own sins, how deeply we have embraced His message of forgiving mercy, how purely we desire to imitate Him and love. When is the last time we prayed or fasted for the person we complain most about? We should do it monthly, weekly, even daily if necessary –because by God allowing that person to be in our life, He is requesting prayer and fasting and mercy from our own heart. He wants to give us His own deep peace and love –one deeper than human frivolities –and this we can only learn to accept in the crucible of suffering and pain.
So, we must follow His advice:
Matthew 5: 23-24 “Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” This ‘reconciliation’ begins first by our prayer, fasting, love and humble service (as is possible) to those who behave as our enemies.
Because:
Matthew 6: 14-15 “If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”
Jesus warns us that He is serious, saying: Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?' Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'”
And what is this will Jesus has for us to follow? He tells us plainly –it is not a trick. Simply love –love those who are most difficult to love, forgive those who seem most difficult to forgive, and pray and fast for those who hurt us. How long should we do this? Always and forever:
Matthew 18:21-35 "Then Peter approaching asked him, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.' Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, 'Pay back what you owe.' Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?' Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.”
And the quote from Poem of the Man-God? I wrote much more than I planned, but here it is for those of you who read this far:
Scribe: ‘Master, You have replied wisely and truthfully. It is so. There is only one God and there is no other God except Him. To love Him with all our hearts, with all our intelligence, with all our soul and all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves is worth much more than any holocaust and sacrifice. I seriously think so when I meditate on David’s words: ‘Holocausts give You no pleasure; a contrite heart is the sacrifice pleasing to God.’
Jesus: “You are not far from the Kingdom of God, because
you have understood which holocaust is pleasing to God.”
Scribe: “But which is the most perfect holocaust?’ asks
the scribe in a low voice, as if he were speaking of a secret.
Jesus
beams with love letting this pearl drop into the heart of this man who is
opening to His doctrine, to the doctrine of the Kingdom of God, and bending
over him He says, “The perfect holocaust is to love, as ourselves, those who
persecute us and not bear any grudge. Who does that will possess peace. It is
said: the lowly shall possess the Earth and shall enjoy the abundance of peace.
I solemnly tell you that he who can love his enemies reaches perfection and
possesses God.”’
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