February 27, 2022; 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Readings: Sirach 27:4-7; 1 Cor. 15:54-58; Lk 6:39-45

 

Take My Hand Before You Hurt Yourself!

1.         Two friends were walking on the road; one was blind, and the other his guide. The Guide would explain the scenery to his blind friend as they went along. Then a beautiful girl walked past, and the Guide was fascinated. He then began to describe how beautiful the girl was to his friend. As the girl moved on, the Guide turned and followed the girl with his eyes while walking backward till he bumped into a pole. His blind friend told him, here, take my hand before you hurt yourself. Today’s Gospel encourages us not to follow people who do not know where they are going. “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?” (Lk. 6:39). But Jesus invites us to follow him, and he will give us rest. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Mt. 11:29). “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (Jn. 14:6). He invites us to follow him because he knows the way to the father. He will lead us to him.

 

2.      We have often taken it upon ourselves to be a guide, a yardstick, and a standard of moral rectitude for others while forgetting to correct the ills in ourselves first. We find fault with everyone and complain about everything they do. Vima Dasan, S.J. writes in his book ‘His Word Lives’ about a family. “When the family returned from Sunday morning service, father criticized the sermon; the daughter thought the choir’s singing was atrocious, and the mother found fault with the organist’s playing. The small boy of the family piped up, “But it was a good show for 50p, don’t you think, Dad?” We like to find fault and criticize people a lot. This can bring harm to people, especially when they are doing their best in their allotted tasks. The first reading asks us to guard our tongue and adds, “Speech is a test of a man and reveals the bent of his mind” (Sir. 27:5). We often ignore the plank in our own eyes while attempting to remove a splinter in our neighbor’s eyes. Haven’t we pointed accusing fingers at others while forgetting that some of those fingers are accusingly pointing directly at us? If we were to do soul-searching, we would discover that we are all sinful people who need God’s mercy; then, we would say with David, “If you O Lord would mark our guilt, who would survive?” (Ps. 130:3). “For I know my offense; my sin is always before me. Against you alone have I sinned; I have done such evil in your sight that you are just in your sentence, blameless when you condemn. True, I was born guilty, a sinner, even as my mother conceived me.” (Ps. 51:5-7). 

 

3.      Last Sunday’s readings urged us to exercise restraint in dealing with others as David did with Saul, who was out to kill him (1Sam. 26:2-23). Today, we are told to exercise restraint in using our tongues. St. James reminds us, “All of us often make mistakes. But if a person never makes a mistake in what he says, he is perfect and is also able to control his whole being.”(James 3:2). We should not be eager to speak, to correct and condemn others while ignoring the misgivings in ourselves. We must examine ourselves in word and deed. Are we so perfect and without fault? Why am I so eager to correct others? Am I without the fault that I condemn or criticize others? What is my intention in pointing out the flaws of others? Is my correction done out of love, or is it to tear down and humiliate others? Have I used my words to destroy people rather than encourage them?

 

4.      Christ tells us that a good tree bears good fruit, and a bad tree bears bad fruit; what kind of fruit does your tree bear? Does it produce good and healthy words as fruits? Are those words consoling and encouraging or are they harmful and destructive?  What is the effect of your correction on others? Does it help them be better people or provoke them to anger and humiliation? As we begin the season of Lent on Ash Wednesday, let us take the hand of Jesus and follow him into the desert of prayer, fasting, and penance. We pray that Christ will help us as we take our brothers and sisters by their hands and help them in their pilgrimage of life lest they hurt themselves. 

 

5.      Let us pray: Lord Jesus, Son of the living God, you who did not open your mouth before Pilate, do not allow me to open my mouth when I do not know what to say and how to say it. Amen.

 

                                    Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP.

February 20, 2022; 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Readings: 1 Sm. 1:26-2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23 1 Cor. 15:45-49; Lk 6:27-38

 

Love Your Enemies and Do Good to Them

1.   Today's readings deal with issues of forgiveness, hatred, revenge, rancor, hurt and stressful relationships. It is easy to love those who love us, our friends, and those we love. But does that make us Christians? We would not be different from pagans, sinners, heathens, and those who do not know God. Christianity urges us to be different, to stand out, and to act in ways opposite to the norm and the expected. In doing things differently, we demonstrate to the world that we are followers of Christ. In the first reading, David showed this Christ-like attitude in how he treated Saul, who was out to kill him. David had Saul, his archenemy, at his fingertip and would have killed him without anyone knowing. Saul's guards were asleep. But David would not do it. He respected the image of God in Saul and spared his life. 

 

2.   David did not do anything to warrant the hatred between him and Saul. If anything, David had put his life in danger for Saul’s reputation. He killed Goliath, the mighty warrior of the Philistines so that Saul and his kingdom would enjoy peace. For his valor women sang in his praises, attributing thousands to Saul and tens of thousands to David. “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” (1 Sam 18:7). Saul’s jealousy raised its ugly head against David and he was determined to kill him. St James rightly observed: “Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members? You covet but do not possess. You kill and envy but cannot obtain; you fight and wage war.” (James 4:1-6).  Jealousy and inordinate desire for things beyond our reach often create enmity between friends and members of families. We should avoid having enemies at all costs. We must forgive those who have grievances against us, and we must offer forgiveness when asked and live in peace with others. In today's gospel, Jesus exhorts the crowd to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them. He gave a reason why we should behave in this way: "…that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."(Mt 5:44-48). God is "Kind to the ungrateful and the wicked." (Lk 6:35). We are more like God if we treat our enemies as God treats us. God has no favorites, but he sees us all as created in his image and likeness. “He is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9). 

 

3.   Soren Kierkegaard admonished, "Never cease loving a person, and never give up hope for him, for even the prodigal son, who had fallen most low, could still be saved. The bitterest enemy and also he who was your friend could again be your friend; love that has grown cold can kindle again." We have been hurt many times, but do not forget that you have hurt people too. If we ask God for forgiveness and mercy, the more reason we should extend the same to others. Christ reminds us, "So will my heavenly Father do to you unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart," Mt. 18:35. Thomas Fuller was right when he observed: "He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself: for every man needs to be forgiven."

 

4.   To forgive and do good to those who hate us is difficult indeed if we were to do it on our own. But we have the Christ who prayed for those who killed him on the cross. "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." Lk 23:34. If we go to him for help, he will surely assist us. God will always be with us if we trust him and go to him for help to forgive those who hurt us. And you will truly be rewarded with happiness and peace each time you dare to forgive those who hurt you and pray for them. 

 

5.   Let us pray: Lord Jesus, you who treated your enemies with love and prayed for those who nailed you to the cross, teach me to forgive those who hate me and speak ill of me behind my back. Give me the courage and strength I need to love and pray for them. May I never be mean to people who are mean to me but let me always treat them with love and respect! Amen.

 

Rev. Augustine Inwang, MSP