Fr. Vincent Munary sx
THE GOSPEL OF THE 7th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A
The words that rhythm the Gospel of these Sundays of the year "A" are: "IT WAS SAID... BUT I SAY TO YOU" (see: Ch. 5, 22, 28, 34, 38, 44). The expression "it was said" is a so called "divine passive" because the entire Bible is word of God; and Jesus wants to explain it with the adversative (antithesis) "but I say to you". Here a taste of polemics seems present in Jesus but He has good reasons to do that. Speaking of the Law He had just declared: "I have not come to abolish but to fulfil" (Mt.5, 17). Now Jesus wants his listeners, and we are among them, to go to the root of the matter. So not just a punishment proportionate to the offence (an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth) but to renounce to resistance against an evil person as it is clear in the 2 examples of Jesus about the slap on the face or the taking somebody's clothes (v 39 and 40). Here Jesus tells us to learn from him, in other words to be like him meek and humble of heart (cf. Mt. 11, 29). Continuing our Gospel reading, we find something which is not possible to understand for ordinary Christians. LOVE YOUR ENEMIES! AND PRAY FOR THEM. Now, Is it not possible at all or is it because this message of Jesus Christ has not sunk yet into our hearts and the heart of most Christians? A few months ago I read about a Muslim youth who wanted to be a Christian. With others of his age he was in charge of executing Christians; and, in front of the public, he had to shoot his best friend who was a Christian and had refused to become a Muslim. The Christian friend told him simply: "Don't be afraid; God forgives you, and I, too, have already forgiven you". After the show of the execution was over, the Muslim boy who had been deeply impressed by these words that were continuing to come to his mind, wondered how that was possible? He found the answer: it was written in the Gospel that he had started to read secretly: we are all brothers loved by the Father who is happy when his children live in peace and joy. To teach us this, Jesus underwent persecution, condemnation, death and prayed to the Father of all: "forgive them, they don't know what they are doing", and his resurrection as a glorious conclusion proved Him right. In this way Jesus Christ gives us the supreme lesson, a practice that was possible not only for the real Son of the Father God, but possible also for the Christians if they accept what the NEW LAW tells us. We live in a time overloaded with wars, oppressions, injustices ...In order to be able to make a first step: let us pray for our enemies because they are not enemies but our brothers. This is salvation which is possible, and so is a peaceful future, and conversion with the gifts of God, the Father of us all. Fr. Vincent Munari s,x,
THE GOSPEL OF THE 7th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A
The words that rhythm the Gospel of these Sundays of the year "A" are: "IT WAS SAID... BUT I SAY TO YOU" (see: Ch. 5, 22, 28, 34, 38, 44). The expression "it was said" is a so called "divine passive" because the entire Bible is word of God; and Jesus wants to explain it with the adversative (antithesis) "but I say to you". Here a taste of polemics seems present in Jesus but He has good reasons to do that. Speaking of the Law He had just declared: "I have not come to abolish but to fulfil" (Mt.5, 17). Now Jesus wants his listeners, and we are among them, to go to the root of the matter. So not just a punishment proportionate to the offence (an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth) but to renounce to resistance against an evil person as it is clear in the 2 examples of Jesus about the slap on the face or the taking somebody's clothes (v 39 and 40). Here Jesus tells us to learn from him, in other words to be like him meek and humble of heart (cf. Mt. 11, 29). Continuing our Gospel reading, we find something which is not possible to understand for ordinary Christians. LOVE YOUR ENEMIES! AND PRAY FOR THEM. Now, Is it not possible at all or is it because this message of Jesus Christ has not sunk yet into our hearts and the heart of most Christians? A few months ago I read about a Muslim youth who wanted to be a Christian. With others of his age he was in charge of executing Christians; and, in front of the public, he had to shoot his best friend who was a Christian and had refused to become a Muslim. The Christian friend told him simply: "Don't be afraid; God forgives you, and I, too, have already forgiven you". After the show of the execution was over, the Muslim boy who had been deeply impressed by these words that were continuing to come to his mind, wondered how that was possible? He found the answer: it was written in the Gospel that he had started to read secretly: we are all brothers loved by the Father who is happy when his children live in peace and joy. To teach us this, Jesus underwent persecution, condemnation, death and prayed to the Father of all: "forgive them, they don't know what they are doing", and his resurrection as a glorious conclusion proved Him right. In this way Jesus Christ gives us the supreme lesson, a practice that was possible not only for the real Son of the Father God, but possible also for the Christians if they accept what the NEW LAW tells us. We live in a time overloaded with wars, oppressions, injustices ...In order to be able to make a first step: let us pray for our enemies because they are not enemies but our brothers. This is salvation which is possible, and so is a peaceful future, and conversion with the gifts of God, the Father of us all. Fr. Vincent Munari s,x,