Thursday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 440
Lectionary: 440
Brothers and
sisters:
Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up.
If anyone supposes he knows something,
he does not yet know as he ought to know.
But if one loves God, one is known by him.
So about the eating of meat sacrificed to idols:
we know that there is no idol in the world,
and that there is no God but one.
Indeed, even though there are so-called gods in heaven and on earth
(there are, to be sure, many “gods” and many “lords”),
yet for us there is
one God, the Father,
from whom all things are and for whom we exist,
and one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom all things are and through whom we exist.
But not all have this knowledge.
There are some who have been so used to idolatry up until now
that, when they eat meat sacrificed to idols,
their conscience, which is weak, is defiled.
Thus, through your knowledge, the weak person is brought to destruction,
the brother for whom Christ died.
When you sin in this way against your brothers
and wound their consciences, weak as they are,
you are sinning against Christ.
Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin,
I will never eat meat again,
so that I may not cause my brother to sin.
Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up.
If anyone supposes he knows something,
he does not yet know as he ought to know.
But if one loves God, one is known by him.
So about the eating of meat sacrificed to idols:
we know that there is no idol in the world,
and that there is no God but one.
Indeed, even though there are so-called gods in heaven and on earth
(there are, to be sure, many “gods” and many “lords”),
yet for us there is
one God, the Father,
from whom all things are and for whom we exist,
and one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom all things are and through whom we exist.
But not all have this knowledge.
There are some who have been so used to idolatry up until now
that, when they eat meat sacrificed to idols,
their conscience, which is weak, is defiled.
Thus, through your knowledge, the weak person is brought to destruction,
the brother for whom Christ died.
When you sin in this way against your brothers
and wound their consciences, weak as they are,
you are sinning against Christ.
Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin,
I will never eat meat again,
so that I may not cause my brother to sin.
Responsorial Psalm PS 139:1B-3, 13-14AB, 23-24
R. (24b) Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Probe me, O God, and know my heart;
try me, and know my thoughts;
See if my way is crooked,
and lead me in the way of old.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Probe me, O God, and know my heart;
try me, and know my thoughts;
See if my way is crooked,
and lead me in the way of old.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Gospel LK 6:27-38
Jesus said to his
disciples:
“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.”
“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.”
Meditation: "Do good to those who hate you"
What makes Christians different and what makes Christianity
distinct from any other religion? It is grace - treating
others, not as they deserve, but as God wishes them to be treated - with
loving-kindness and mercy. God is good to the unjust as well as the just. His
love embraces saint and sinner alike. God seeks our highest good and teaches us
to seek the greatest good of others, even those who hate and abuse us. Our love
for others, even those who are ungrateful and selfish towards us, must be
marked by the same kindness and mercy which God has shown to us. It is easier
to show kindness and mercy when we can expect to benefit from doing so. How
much harder when we can expect nothing in return.
Give and forgive - the two wings of prayer
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) describes Jesus double precept to give and forgive as two essential wings of prayer:
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) describes Jesus double precept to give and forgive as two essential wings of prayer:
"Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be
given you. These are the two wings of prayer on which it flies to God.
Pardon the offender what has been committed, and give to the person in
need" (Sermon 205.3). "Let us graciously and fervently perform
these two types of almsgiving, that is, giving and forgiving, for we in turn
pray the Lord to give us things and not to repay our evil deeds"(Sermon
206.2).
Bless and do not curse
Our prayer for those who do us ill both breaks the power of revenge and releases the power of love to do good in the face of evil. How can we possibly love those who cause us harm or ill-will? With God all things are possible. He gives power and grace to those who believe in and accept the gift of the Holy Spirit. His love conquers all, even our hurts, fears, prejudices and griefs. Only the cross of Jesus Christ can free us from the tyranny of malice, hatred, revenge, and resentment and gives us the courage to return evil with good. Such love and grace has power to heal and to save from destruction. That is why Paul the Apostle tells those who know the love and mercy of Jesus Christ to "bless and not curse.. nor take revenge.. and to overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:14,17,21). Do you know the power of God's love, mercy, and righteousness (moral goodness) for overcoming evil with good?
Our prayer for those who do us ill both breaks the power of revenge and releases the power of love to do good in the face of evil. How can we possibly love those who cause us harm or ill-will? With God all things are possible. He gives power and grace to those who believe in and accept the gift of the Holy Spirit. His love conquers all, even our hurts, fears, prejudices and griefs. Only the cross of Jesus Christ can free us from the tyranny of malice, hatred, revenge, and resentment and gives us the courage to return evil with good. Such love and grace has power to heal and to save from destruction. That is why Paul the Apostle tells those who know the love and mercy of Jesus Christ to "bless and not curse.. nor take revenge.. and to overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:14,17,21). Do you know the power of God's love, mercy, and righteousness (moral goodness) for overcoming evil with good?
"Lord Jesus, your love brings freedom and pardon. Fill me
with your Holy Spirit and set my heart free with your merciful love that
nothing may make me lose my temper, ruffle my peace, take away my joy, nor make
me bitter towards anyone."
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A Most High Ideal
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September 11, 2014. Thursday of the Twenty-third Week in
Ordinary Time
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Luke 6: 27-38
Jesus said to his disciples: "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."
Introductory Prayer: God the Father, thank you for the gift of creation,
including my own life. God the Son, thank you for redeeming me at the price
of your own Body and Blood. God the Holy Spirit, thank you for being the
sweet guest of my soul, enlightening my mind, strengthening my spirit and
kindling the fire of your love in my heart.
Petition: Lord Jesus, help me to actively seek the perfection you
desire for me.
1. Revolution or Civil War? The values that Jesus proposes in his
sermon on the mountain might be termed “revolutionary.” Never had the ideal
of love been placed so high, demanding such heroism in practice. That’s why
what Jesus asks provokes a struggle within me, between the “old man,” who
resists this message, and the ideals my Lord places before me. This might be
termed a “civil war” played out on the battlefield of my heart.
2. The Golden Rule: Jesus gives me what has been termed the “Golden Rule”:
do to others as you would have them do to you. Since I naturally love myself
to the point of desiring all good things and nothing bad to come my way,
Jesus exhorts me to transfer that benevolence to others. This requires an
effort for me, since I tend towards egoism. What can lift me up out of my
smallness, my narrowness?
3. Becoming like God: God’s plan for me is marvelous. It exceeds my
comprehension to hear Jesus tell me to be perfect, not according to a
standard of human perfection, but according to divine perfection. My vocation
is to become like God – for his divine life to increase in me and for my
narrow, egoistic standards to diminish and disappear. I would not strive for
such a high goal, if it were not commanded by my Lord. I must trust that he
can do it in me. What I have to do is to collaborate with him, seeking him in
prayer and discerning his will for me always.
Conversation with Christ: I thank you, Lord Jesus, for wanting
to transform me into a greater likeness of God. Without you, this is
impossible. With you, everything is possible, even in me with all my
weaknesses and limitations. Your will be done!
Resolution: I will transform my way of judging from my point of view
to God’s. Today I will strive to put into practice the “Golden Rule”.
By Father Patrick Butler, LC
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, LUKE 6:27-38
(1 Corinthians 8:1b-7, 11-13; Psalm 139)
(1 Corinthians 8:1b-7, 11-13; Psalm 139)
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KEY VERSE: "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful" (v 36).
READING: Luke's "Sermon on the Plain" is the counterpart to Matthew's "Sermon on the Mount" (Mt 5-7). Luke has Jesus preaching on a plain to show his humble bond with his followers. In the midst of a hostile political system, Jesus encouraged his followers to bear persecution and suffering as he did. Typical of Luke's gospel, God's "mercy" is stressed rather than "perfection" as in Matthew (5:48). For Luke, Jesus' disciples were children of a compassionate Father and they should imitate God's mercy. Central to Jesus' teaching was love of neighbor and forgiveness of one's enemies. He spoke out against vindictiveness because of mistreatment or injury. Jesus' commands are clear: Love! Bless! Give! Forgive! Stop judging! Stop condemning! He encouraged his followers to overcome hatred and oppression just as he did, not through power, but through kindness, forgiveness and love.
REFLECTING: To whom do I need to show compassion today?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, thank you for your mercy toward me, a sinner.
PATRIOT DAY, 9/11, USA
On December 18, 2001, President George W. Bush signed an amendment of the U.S. Code designating September 11th as "Patriot Day". On the anniversary of the tragedy of 9-11, let us join together to show that we will not forget those innocent people who lost their lives that morning -- the passengers, the pilots, the people who were working at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Let us join together to show our appreciation for the brave firefighters, police officers and EMT personnel, many who lost their lives trying to help others. To show our remembrance, our strength, our resolve and our love of our country, let's join together again to show we have not forgotten. Fly the Flag of the United States at half-staff from sunrise to sunset. Hold appropriate programs and activities. Light a candle and observe a moment of silence. Pray to forgive our enemies as Jesus taught us to do
Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way
Can they eat the food left over from sacrifice? Each person makes the decision as he or she sees fit, he argues, but not in any way to scandalise someone else. We must be aware of how our actions affect other people. Jesus takes this even further. Not only ought we refrain from giving scandal, we must love our enemies! Do good and lend without any hope of return! He lays down challenges we need to come back to over and over. Seeing people acting in direct contrast to Jesus’ words urges us to rethink and put our trust in his way. Only then will we be given in full measure.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Growing in Love
Christ, our hope, you have arisen. Praise and glory be yours! With
your Mother Mary, we greet your resurrection with a burst of new faith in you
and a fresh hope for a life that prepares us for eternal life and for a growth
in love and service to our families, friends, and anyone in need.
September
11
St. Cyprian
(d. 258)
St. Cyprian
(d. 258)
Cyprian is important in the development of Christian thought and
practice in the third century, especially in northern Africa.
Highly
educated, a famous orator, he became a Christian as an adult. He
distributed his goods to the poor, and amazed his fellow citizens by making a
vow of chastity before his baptism. Within two years he had been ordained a
priest and was chosen, against his will, as Bishop of Carthage (near modern
Tunis).
Cyprian
complained that the peace the Church had enjoyed had weakened the spirit of
many Christians and had opened the door to converts who did not have the true
spirit of faith. When the Decian persecution began, many Christians easily
abandoned the Church. It was their reinstatement that caused the great
controversies of the third century, and helped the Church progress in its
understanding of the Sacrament of Penance.
Novatus,
a priest who had opposed Cyprian's election, set himself up in Cyprian's
absence (he had fled to a hiding place from which to direct the Church—bringing
criticism on himself) and received back all apostates without imposing any
canonical penance. Ultimately he was condemned. Cyprian held a middle course,
holding that those who had actually sacrificed to idols could receive Communion
only at death, whereas those who had only bought certificates saying they had
sacrificed could be admitted after a more or less lengthy period of penance.
Even this was relaxed during a new persecution.
During a
plague in Carthage, he urged Christians to help everyone, including their
enemies and persecutors.
A friend
of Pope Cornelius, Cyprian opposed the following pope, Stephen. He and the
other African bishops would not recognize the validity of baptism conferred by
heretics and schismatics. This was not the universal view of the Church, but
Cyprian was not intimidated even by Stephen's threat of excommunication.
He was
exiled by the emperor and then recalled for trial. He refused to leave the
city, insisting that his people should have the witness of his martyrdom.
Cyprian
was a mixture of kindness and courage, vigor and steadiness. He was cheerful
and serious, so that people did not know whether to love or respect him more.
He waxed warm during the baptismal controversy; his feelings must have
concerned him, for it was at this time that he wrote his treatise on patience.
St. Augustine remarks that Cyprian atoned for his anger by his glorious
martyrdom.
Comment:
The controversies about Baptism and Penance in the third century remind us that the early Church had no ready-made solutions from the Holy Spirit. The leaders and members of the Church of that day had to move painfully through the best series of judgments they could make in an attempt to follow the entire teaching of Christ and not be diverted by exaggerations to right or left.
The controversies about Baptism and Penance in the third century remind us that the early Church had no ready-made solutions from the Holy Spirit. The leaders and members of the Church of that day had to move painfully through the best series of judgments they could make in an attempt to follow the entire teaching of Christ and not be diverted by exaggerations to right or left.
Quote:
“You cannot have God for your Father if you do not have the Church for your mother.... God is one and Christ is one, and his Church is one; one is the faith, and one is the people cemented together by harmony into the strong unity of a body.... If we are the heirs of Christ, let us abide in the peace of Christ; if we are the sons of God, let us be lovers of peace” (St. Cyprian, The Unity of the Catholic Church).
“You cannot have God for your Father if you do not have the Church for your mother.... God is one and Christ is one, and his Church is one; one is the faith, and one is the people cemented together by harmony into the strong unity of a body.... If we are the heirs of Christ, let us abide in the peace of Christ; if we are the sons of God, let us be lovers of peace” (St. Cyprian, The Unity of the Catholic Church).
Patron Saint of:
North Africa
North Africa
LECTIO DIVINA:
LUKE 6,27-38
Lectio:
Thursday, September 11, 2014 (All day)
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God our Father,
you redeem us
and make us your children in Christ.
Look upon us,
give us true freedom
and bring us to the inheritance you promised.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
you redeem us
and make us your children in Christ.
Look upon us,
give us true freedom
and bring us to the inheritance you promised.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 6,27-38
Jesus said to his disciples: Love your enemies, do good to those
who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly.
To anyone who slaps you on one cheek, present the other cheek as well; to anyone who takes your cloak from you, do not refuse your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your property back from someone who takes it.
Treat others as you would like people to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit can you expect? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit can you expect? For even sinners do that much. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to get money back, what credit can you expect? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount.
Instead, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend without any hope of return. You will have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. ‘Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap; because the standard you use will be the standard used for you.’
To anyone who slaps you on one cheek, present the other cheek as well; to anyone who takes your cloak from you, do not refuse your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your property back from someone who takes it.
Treat others as you would like people to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit can you expect? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit can you expect? For even sinners do that much. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to get money back, what credit can you expect? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount.
Instead, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend without any hope of return. You will have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. ‘Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap; because the standard you use will be the standard used for you.’
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel we have the second part of the “Discourse of
the Plain”. In the first part (Lk 6, 20-26), Jesus addresses himself to the
disciples (Lk 6, 20). In the second part (Lk 6, 27-49), he addresses himself
“to you who listen to me”, that is, the great crowds of poor and sick people,
who had come form all parts (Lk 6, 17-19).
• Luke 6, 27-30: Love the enemies! The words that Jesus addresses to these people are demanding and difficult: to love the enemies, not to curse them, to present the other cheek to anyone who slaps you on one cheek, and do not protest or complain when somebody takes what is ours. Taken literally, these phrases seem to favour the rich who rob. But not even Jesus observes them literally. When the soldier struck him on the face, he did not offer the other cheek but rather reacted firmly: “If there is some offence in what I said, point it out, but if not why do you strike me?” (Jn 18, 22-23). Then, how are these words to be understood? The following verses help us to understand what Jesus wants to teach us.
• Luke 6, 31-36: The Golden Rule! to imitate God. Two phrases of Jesus help us to understand what he wants to teach. The first phrase is the so called Golden Rule: “Treat others as you would like people to treat you!” (Lk 6, 31). The second phrase is: “Be merciful as your Father in Heaven is merciful!” (Lk 6, 36). These two phrases indicate that Jesus does not want simply to change the situation, because nothing would change. He wants to change the system. The novelty which he wants to construct comes from the new experience of God the Father, full of tenderness who accepts all! The words of threat against the rich cannot be the occasion of revenge on the part of the poor! Jesus demands the contrary attitude: “Love your enemies!” Love cannot depend on what I receive from others. True love should want the good of others, independently of what he or she does for me. Love should be creative, because that is how God’s love is for us: “Be merciful, as your Heavenly Father is merciful!” Matthew says the same thing with other words: “Be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect” (Mt 5, 48). Never will anyone be able to say: Today I have been perfect as the Father in Heaven is perfect! I have been merciful as the Father in Heaven is merciful”. We will always be below the measure which Jesus has placed before us.
In Luke’s Gospel, the Golden Rule says: “Treat others as you would like people to treat you!” (Lk 6, 31). Matthew, in his Gospel, gives a different formulation: “Treat others as you would like others to treat you” And he adds: “That is the Law and the Prophets” (Mt 7, 12). Practically, all religions in the whole world have the same Golden Rule with a diverse formulation. This is a sign that a universal intuition or desire is expressed which comes from the bottom of the human heart.
• Luke 6, 37-38: “Do not judge and you will not be judged; do not condemn and you will not be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven; give and there will be gifts for you; a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap; because the standard you use will be the standard used for you”. These are four advices: two in a negative form, do not judge and do not condemn; and two in positive form: to forgive and to give an abundant measure. When it says: “there will be gifts for you”, Jesus refers to the treatment which God wants to have with us. But when our way of treating others is mean, God cannot use with us the abundant and overflowing measure that he would want to use.
Celebrate the visit of God. The Discourse of the Plains or the Sermon on the Mountain, from the beginning, leads the listeners to make a choice, to opt, in favour of the poor. In the Old Testament, several times, God placed people before this same choice, blessing or curse. People were given the freedom to choose: “Today I call heaven and earth to witness against you: I am offering you life or death, blessing or curse. Choose life, then, so that you and your descendants may live” (Dt 30,19).It is not God who condemns, but the people themselves according to the choice that they make between life and death, good or evil. These moments of choosing are moments of the visit of God to his people (Gn 21, 1; 50, 24-25); Ex 3, 16; 32, 34; Jr 20, 10; Ps 65, 10; Ps 80, 15; Ps 106, 4). Luke is the only Evangelist who uses this image of the visit of God (Lk 1, 68. 78; 7, 16; 19, 44; Ac 15, 16). For Luke it is the visit of God which places people before the choice between blessing or curse: “Blessed are you who are poor” and “Alas for you, the rich!” But people do not recognize the visit of God (Lk 19,44).
• Luke 6, 27-30: Love the enemies! The words that Jesus addresses to these people are demanding and difficult: to love the enemies, not to curse them, to present the other cheek to anyone who slaps you on one cheek, and do not protest or complain when somebody takes what is ours. Taken literally, these phrases seem to favour the rich who rob. But not even Jesus observes them literally. When the soldier struck him on the face, he did not offer the other cheek but rather reacted firmly: “If there is some offence in what I said, point it out, but if not why do you strike me?” (Jn 18, 22-23). Then, how are these words to be understood? The following verses help us to understand what Jesus wants to teach us.
• Luke 6, 31-36: The Golden Rule! to imitate God. Two phrases of Jesus help us to understand what he wants to teach. The first phrase is the so called Golden Rule: “Treat others as you would like people to treat you!” (Lk 6, 31). The second phrase is: “Be merciful as your Father in Heaven is merciful!” (Lk 6, 36). These two phrases indicate that Jesus does not want simply to change the situation, because nothing would change. He wants to change the system. The novelty which he wants to construct comes from the new experience of God the Father, full of tenderness who accepts all! The words of threat against the rich cannot be the occasion of revenge on the part of the poor! Jesus demands the contrary attitude: “Love your enemies!” Love cannot depend on what I receive from others. True love should want the good of others, independently of what he or she does for me. Love should be creative, because that is how God’s love is for us: “Be merciful, as your Heavenly Father is merciful!” Matthew says the same thing with other words: “Be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect” (Mt 5, 48). Never will anyone be able to say: Today I have been perfect as the Father in Heaven is perfect! I have been merciful as the Father in Heaven is merciful”. We will always be below the measure which Jesus has placed before us.
In Luke’s Gospel, the Golden Rule says: “Treat others as you would like people to treat you!” (Lk 6, 31). Matthew, in his Gospel, gives a different formulation: “Treat others as you would like others to treat you” And he adds: “That is the Law and the Prophets” (Mt 7, 12). Practically, all religions in the whole world have the same Golden Rule with a diverse formulation. This is a sign that a universal intuition or desire is expressed which comes from the bottom of the human heart.
• Luke 6, 37-38: “Do not judge and you will not be judged; do not condemn and you will not be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven; give and there will be gifts for you; a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap; because the standard you use will be the standard used for you”. These are four advices: two in a negative form, do not judge and do not condemn; and two in positive form: to forgive and to give an abundant measure. When it says: “there will be gifts for you”, Jesus refers to the treatment which God wants to have with us. But when our way of treating others is mean, God cannot use with us the abundant and overflowing measure that he would want to use.
Celebrate the visit of God. The Discourse of the Plains or the Sermon on the Mountain, from the beginning, leads the listeners to make a choice, to opt, in favour of the poor. In the Old Testament, several times, God placed people before this same choice, blessing or curse. People were given the freedom to choose: “Today I call heaven and earth to witness against you: I am offering you life or death, blessing or curse. Choose life, then, so that you and your descendants may live” (Dt 30,19).It is not God who condemns, but the people themselves according to the choice that they make between life and death, good or evil. These moments of choosing are moments of the visit of God to his people (Gn 21, 1; 50, 24-25); Ex 3, 16; 32, 34; Jr 20, 10; Ps 65, 10; Ps 80, 15; Ps 106, 4). Luke is the only Evangelist who uses this image of the visit of God (Lk 1, 68. 78; 7, 16; 19, 44; Ac 15, 16). For Luke it is the visit of God which places people before the choice between blessing or curse: “Blessed are you who are poor” and “Alas for you, the rich!” But people do not recognize the visit of God (Lk 19,44).
4) Personal questions
• Do we look at life and at persons with the same look of Jesus?
• What does it mean today “be merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful”?
• What does it mean today “be merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful”?
5) Concluding Prayer
Yahweh, you examine me and know me,
you know when I sit,
when I rise,
you understand my thoughts from afar.
You watch when I walk or lie down,
you know every detail of my conduct. (Ps 139,1-3)
you know when I sit,
when I rise,
you understand my thoughts from afar.
You watch when I walk or lie down,
you know every detail of my conduct. (Ps 139,1-3)
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