Altar_Green

Pastor's Message

                 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

                                       "Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.”         Luke 23.34 

 

            I say to you that listen; “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you, to him who strikes you on the right cheek offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your … Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Notice it’s to you that listen!

          The Gospel today, gives us, the disciples’ response to God’s generous self-giving love; a response to the blessedness of being in his Presence, in the person of Christ Jesus. This response is to, the beautiful experience, of our ongoing encounter with Emanuel; God with us.

         Last Sunday in the Beatitudes, Jesus revealed and proclaimed the new way of the Kingdom of God. This was the way of the Son of God; who emptied himself, off his glory and became one with us, and taking our nature, he was humbler yet, even accepting death, death on a cross, for our salvation. (Phil 2:6-9)

         In a World where “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life” are a common practice, it’s only a true disciple who can reciprocate the self-giving love lived by Christ Jesus without reservation.

        Jesus, through his life and death taught us that, love of an enemy is possible; “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.”  (Lk. 23:34)

        The 1st reading of today, gives us, the figure of David and his friend Abishai, who together with their companions were freeing King Saul and his massive army. Ever since, David was anointed king, by Samuel, and was taken to the King Saul’s presence, at the king’s own request, David had done only good for King and his people.

         King Saul, on the other hand, out of jealousy wanted David dead and driven by anger and hatred, had been pursuing David and his people for days to kill them. King Saul had chosen to be a true and dangerous enemy to David.

         David had a chance to kill Saul several times, and in today’s reading, David and Abishai snuck at night into King Saul’s tent while all his soldiers and body guards were sleeping. David had a chance! Abishai insisted with him, to strike his enemy; “God has given your enemy into your hands, Abishai said, now let me pin him to the ground with one stroke of the spear.” (1Sam 26:8)

         David refused to strike the Lord anointed, instead, spared his life, to the surprise of Abishai, his friend. David, however, took the King’s spear and reaching a distance away called on Saul to get his Spear.

         King Saul aware that David could have taken revenge but didn’t, and instead spared his life, relented, for some time from pursuing David. David had resolved evil with good.

        Brothers and Sister, blessed, in Christ Jesus through his “life-giving spirit,” we are called to imitate this second Adam. And here is the promise given in the concluding verse of the 2nd Reading of today; “Just as we have borne the Image of the one of dust, we will also bear the Image of the One in Heaven.” (1Cor. 15:45)

        May the Lord increase our Love for one another. Amen.