Please pray for a very good friend of our family. I won’t share the name because I didn’t ask permission to do so. Our friend will start chemotherapy treatments this Tuesday and could use some prayers while fighting both the effects of the treatments and the cancer.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but there seems to be a lot of anger in our society these days. Pick a topic – politics, religion – heck, you can’t even watch a sporting event without an argument about what is right and what is wrong breaking out anymore (thank you Mr. Mickelson). We are living in a time where everyone is right (not politically) and no one is wrong and there seems to be no common ground anymore. Want an example – google any of the following words and let me know how long it is before f bombs are dropped, people who appose either side of the argument are calling those opposite them all types of words and/or vile phrases. Trump, pro-life vs. pro-choice, LBGTQ, Catholicism, white privilege, health care, Obama…there was even an argument among the New York Diocese and the Peoria Diocese as to where the remains of Venerable Fulton Sheen should be kept – in New York where he was living at the time of his death or in Peoria where he was born, raised and ordained.
Think this is unique to our times? I don’t, which is why Jesus has spent the past few days instructing people how they should structure their lives in order to be true followers of God.
June 13: Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
June 14: You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment,
and whoever says to his brother, Raqa,
will be answerable to the Sanhedrin,
and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
June 15: Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery.
But I say to you,
everyone who looks at a woman with lust
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
June 16: Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
Do not take a false oath,
but make good to the Lord all that you vow.
But I say to you, do not swear at all…
June 17: With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it…
June 18: Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
June 19: Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you
The lessons continue on from there – as you will read by following the scriptures every morning.
There is a saying that God’s rain falls on the weeds as much as it does the grass. So, what’s my point? My point is, Jesus is telling us that if we are going to follow Him, follow God, we have to do something radical in our lives and that is to love all of God’s creation, both what we define as good (the grass) and especially show love to what we define as sinful (the weeds). God is love. Jesus has told us that how many times in His sermon on the Mount. God is love, God loves all things and we are called to do the same. If someone strikes you on the right cheek offer him the left as well. Do not strike back in anger because anger is not what God is about. Should someone trash you or a cause you support on digital media, the only way to respond is with love, not with something as vile or resentful as they just posted. It was written some time back that our goal in life should be the WINDOW through which people see God. I might suggest now might be a good time to step back and see if that window needs a good Spring cleaning. I will close today with a paste from the Catechism of the Catholic Church – el numero uno listed in our Catechism…
I. THE LIFE OF MAN – TO KNOW AND LOVE GOD
1 God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Savior. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life.
Do something great for our Lord today. Take the love you have for Him and share with it someone – anyone.
God’s will, not mine, be done.
Be not afraid.
Jesus, I trust in You.
St. Mary Magdalen Men of God 