Through Moses, God
tells us to be holy. Through Jesus, God tells us
to be perfect. Holy, because God is holy. Perfect, just as God is
perfect. Sounds impossible!
Three things, though, can help us in the face of this seeming
impossibility. First, there's the reality of who we are and whose we
are. Paul reminds us that we are thetemple of God
where the Spirit of God dwells. That awesome truth has been related
in many metaphors over the centuries. Tents, tabernacles, earthen
vessels. For many of us the most recent metaphor has been Michael
Morwood's naming of Gos Divine Presence, and Jesus of Nazareth--and
us--as unique expressions of the Divine Presence.
Another thing that helps is today's first reading from Leviticus,
which gives us specific instructions for holiness: don't nurse
hatred; don't store up ill feelings; don't seek revenge; don't hold a
grudge; love your neighbor as yourself.
Finally, Matthew tells us what it means to be holy as God is holy. Go
beyond the law, he writes; do more than is asked, more than is
required. God's brightness shines in everyone--so must ours. God's
refreshing spirit falls on everyone--so must ours. So must we love
everyone, neighbors and enemies.
Matthew gives us examples of what that looks like. The passage of
time has sometimes caused these half-dozen directives to be taken as
calling for passivity in the face of evil. The true meaning, though,
calls us to oppose evil with good. Jesus' audience would have
recognized that being struck on the right cheek is the humiliating
action of a master to a servant, so when he says to turn the other
cheek, they would understand that forcing the master to strike on the
left cheek would require the him to approach the servant as an equal.
To hand over both shirt and coat would leave the debtor naked,
embarrassing the one who sued you in front of the community. When you
go the second mile for the soldier who pressed you into service, you
put him in jeopardy of being disciplined for disobeying the Roman
military rule that allowed only one mile.
Jesus is not a wimp. He is not recommending abject spinelessness in
the face of evil. He is recommending wise but non-violent means of
responding to evil with goodness. Jesus' teaching is a strategy for
winning, a win-win, not for passive resignation or indifference to
evil. His strategy requires that we love everyone. That we greet
everyone.
When I was a youngster riding with my brothers in the back seat of our
'50 Ford, I often saw my Dad waving at the driver of a passing car.
I'd scootch up and ask, "Who's that?" And Dad would most times
respond, "I don't know." Bless my Dad, living the Gospel by greeting
everyone, not just folks he knew. Lately I've tried to emulate his
example by waving at passing cars, especially along the streets of the
neighborhood. I don't know if the practice has changed anyone I've
waved at, but I do know that I feel a change in my attitude and
outlook.
When we turn the calendar over to February next Saturday, we'll see
that Lent is just five days away.
Engaging in Bona Opera--the traditional "good works" of Lent--means
choosing specific practices relating to the traditional penances
mentioned in Scripture--fasting, prayer, and almsgiving.
If you choose, you may take home one of these Bona Opera cards and
envelopes after Mass. Fill out the practices you plan to use to deepen
your relationships this Lent, seal them in the envelope, address it to
yourself, and bring it back on Ash Wednesday. We'll collect them here
and keep them in a basket on the altar. We'll pray for you during
Lent, that your efforts to do good works will bear fruit. No one will
open them. Then your envelope will be mailed back to you so you can
reflect on your progress during Holy Week.
The Bona Opera--the good works--aim to convert our relationships to
ourself, to God, and to neighbor. They are practices above and beyond
what we ordinarily do. Possible Bona Opera are fasting from gossip,
praying 10 minutes more each day, listening attentively to a lonely
neighbor. The Bona Opera should form habits that will last past
Easter. And we should choose them specifically to help us reflect the
love of God to others.
I've been waving at people for a couple of months now, and that
experience makes me want to find something like that to practice
during Lent as one of my Bona Opera. But whether we write down our
intentions or not, whether we decide specifically in advance or not,
we all hope to find ourselves, at the end of the coming Lenten season,
holy--that is, as complete and whole as we can be. We all hope to find
ourselves as perfect--that is, compassionate--as God is.
I have observed that you are doing really well at that already,
individually and as a community. Let's put our minds and hearts into
it, and try to get even closer.
--
Holy Spirit Catholic Community
Mass at 2086 Brookdale (Interfaith Chapel):
Saturdays at 4:30 p.m.
Sundays at 9 a.m.
Mass at3535 Executive Parkway Toledo
Sundays at 5:30 p.m.
www.holyspirittoledo.org
Rev. Bev Bingle, Pastor
419-727-1774
to be perfect. Holy, because God is holy. Perfect, just as God is
perfect. Sounds impossible!
Three things, though, can help us in the face of this seeming
impossibility. First, there's the reality of who we are and whose we
are. Paul reminds us that we are the
where the Spirit of God dwells. That awesome truth has been related
in many metaphors over the centuries. Tents, tabernacles, earthen
vessels. For many of us the most recent metaphor has been Michael
Morwood's naming of Gos Divine Presence, and Jesus of Nazareth--and
us--as unique expressions of the Divine Presence.
Another thing that helps is today's first reading from Leviticus,
which gives us specific instructions for holiness: don't nurse
hatred; don't store up ill feelings; don't seek revenge; don't hold a
grudge; love your neighbor as yourself.
Finally, Matthew tells us what it means to be holy as God is holy. Go
beyond the law, he writes; do more than is asked, more than is
required. God's brightness shines in everyone--so must ours. God's
refreshing spirit falls on everyone--so must ours. So must we love
everyone, neighbors and enemies.
Matthew gives us examples of what that looks like. The passage of
time has sometimes caused these half-dozen directives to be taken as
calling for passivity in the face of evil. The true meaning, though,
calls us to oppose evil with good. Jesus' audience would have
recognized that being struck on the right cheek is the humiliating
action of a master to a servant, so when he says to turn the other
cheek, they would understand that forcing the master to strike on the
left cheek would require the him to approach the servant as an equal.
To hand over both shirt and coat would leave the debtor naked,
embarrassing the one who sued you in front of the community. When you
go the second mile for the soldier who pressed you into service, you
put him in jeopardy of being disciplined for disobeying the Roman
military rule that allowed only one mile.
Jesus is not a wimp. He is not recommending abject spinelessness in
the face of evil. He is recommending wise but non-violent means of
responding to evil with goodness. Jesus' teaching is a strategy for
winning, a win-win, not for passive resignation or indifference to
evil. His strategy requires that we love everyone. That we greet
everyone.
When I was a youngster riding with my brothers in the back seat of our
'50 Ford, I often saw my Dad waving at the driver of a passing car.
I'd scootch up and ask, "Who's that?" And Dad would most times
respond, "I don't know." Bless my Dad, living the Gospel by greeting
everyone, not just folks he knew. Lately I've tried to emulate his
example by waving at passing cars, especially along the streets of the
neighborhood. I don't know if the practice has changed anyone I've
waved at, but I do know that I feel a change in my attitude and
outlook.
When we turn the calendar over to February next Saturday, we'll see
that Lent is just five days away.
Engaging in Bona Opera--the traditional "good works" of Lent--means
choosing specific practices relating to the traditional penances
mentioned in Scripture--fasting, prayer, and almsgiving.
If you choose, you may take home one of these Bona Opera cards and
envelopes after Mass. Fill out the practices you plan to use to deepen
your relationships this Lent, seal them in the envelope, address it to
yourself, and bring it back on Ash Wednesday. We'll collect them here
and keep them in a basket on the altar. We'll pray for you during
Lent, that your efforts to do good works will bear fruit. No one will
open them. Then your envelope will be mailed back to you so you can
reflect on your progress during Holy Week.
The Bona Opera--the good works--aim to convert our relationships to
ourself, to God, and to neighbor. They are practices above and beyond
what we ordinarily do. Possible Bona Opera are fasting from gossip,
praying 10 minutes more each day, listening attentively to a lonely
neighbor. The Bona Opera should form habits that will last past
Easter. And we should choose them specifically to help us reflect the
love of God to others.
I've been waving at people for a couple of months now, and that
experience makes me want to find something like that to practice
during Lent as one of my Bona Opera. But whether we write down our
intentions or not, whether we decide specifically in advance or not,
we all hope to find ourselves, at the end of the coming Lenten season,
holy--that is, as complete and whole as we can be. We all hope to find
ourselves as perfect--that is, compassionate--as God is.
I have observed that you are doing really well at that already,
individually and as a community. Let's put our minds and hearts into
it, and try to get even closer.
--
Holy Spirit Catholic Community
Mass at 2086 Brookdale (Interfaith Chapel):
Saturdays at 4:30 p.m.
Sundays at 9 a.m.
Mass at
Sundays at 5:30 p.m.
www.holyspirittoledo.org
Rev. Bev Bingle, Pastor
419-727-1774
__._,_.___
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.