Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (I Samuel 26:2.7-9.12-13.22-23; I Corinthians 15:45-49; Luke 6:27-38)
Queen Elizabeth of the
United Kingdom has just reached a milestone. On February 6 she was head of her
country for seventy years. She has done more than fulfill her responsibilities.
She has modeled nobility for the world. She has always shown concern for the poor.
She has never been involved in scandal. She has exhibited human dignity in both public and personal affairs. The people of Britannia will remember her
with admiration. Similarly, the Jews have esteemed King David.
David was primarily a war-hero.
Since his victory over the giant Goliath, he gained respect for defeating
Israel's enemies. However, he was far from a perfect human being. He seemed to like
violence too much. He wasted no time in having his lover's husband killed.
Another vice he had was lust. He had at least six wives. We may wonder why the Bible
sees him as the greatest king of Israel. It was not primarily because of his
ability to win battles. More significantly, he had a heart ready to forgive
like God. He displays this ability in the first reading when he turns down the
opportunity to kill his enemy.
In the gospel Jesus
instructs his disciples to likewise imitate God's mercy. They are to forgive their
enemies. In addition, they are to lend without expecting repayment, bless their
adversaries, and give at the request of the other. Of course, these principles
apply to us just as much as they did to first-century Christians.
Perhaps we are puzzled
by the excessive demand. We ask ourselves, where is justice if anyone can strike
me with impunity? Justice is hidden in God's plan. Jesus implies as much in what
he says next. Our heavenly Father will not allow us to be destroyed. Rather He
will reward us abundantly when His Kingdom comes. In Jesus’s words our lot will
be "a good measure, shaken well, pressed down, and running over."
Perhaps our
restlessness continues. We ask, could we keep ourselves in peace if we follow Jesus’
directives? Really, it's not easy. But we have examples like Saint Francis and
Mother Teresa showing that it is possible. True, people as weak as ourselves
are going to fail sometimes. And it will be hard at times to coordinate our
responsibilities to family and friends with the demands of the kingdom. In any
case, we should not despair. As long as we change our lives to accommodate the gospel
principles, we will be fine.
A poor immigrant woman
lent out the money she was saving to buy a house. After several months the
woman who asked for the loan did not pay it back. Neither did she want to talk
about it. Now the lender doesn't know what to do because she needs money to
repair her car. Will she violate Jesus' demand by asking her friend to return
the money? No. If she were rich and the other person were really needy, there
would be reason to forgive the debt. But in this case, the two must work out a
plan to ensure their mutual good.
In the second reading
today, we hear Saint Paul describing the heavenly man. He says in effect that,
moved by the Spirit, the heavenly man has accommodated gospel the principles.
He no longer practices the vices of the “first man”: selfishness, lust, and
drunkenness. Instead, he has donned the virtues of the Kingdom: nonviolence,
kindness, and compassion. He has conformed himself to Christ. His destiny is
life with him forever.
Soon we will be
beginning Lent. It is time to consider how we can conform to Jesus. Being slow
to get angry with people who baffle us? Be more ready to forgive our enemies?
Yes, these are the ways of heavenly men and women.
