For the last week, we’ve been dipping into the Sermon on the Mount. The Lex Talionis or law of the Talon was the Old Commandment and the early civilization practice of retribution, such that acts resulting in bodily injury were in turn meted out to the perpetrator in precise proportion, so an eye for an eye, for example. Jesus expressly forbids this in today’s Gospel and ushers in the principle of love even for enemies. In the first reading, Paul outlines his ministry and willingness to suffer hardships for the sake of those entrusted to his care.
Weapons of Righteousness
Saint Paul appeals to us not to receive the grace of God in vain. This paragon of perseverance suffered afflictions, hardships, beatings, imprisonments, riots, vigils, fasts – all for the sake of the gospel and for the express benefit of the souls of the myriad under his ministerial care. How did he do this? Glad you asked. With purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, in truthful speech.
Paul relies on the weapons of righteousness. What, pray tell, are these? He gives it away in the next breath. They allow him to bear dishonor and insult, to be treated as sorrowful, as poor, and as having nothing, yet render him joyful, capable of enriching the many and in possession of all things. The way of St. Paul is an imitation of His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Gospel of Self Emptying
Jesus asks for a complete absence of pride which is replaced with selfless giving until it hurts the individual or at a minimum, causes massive inconvenience to him or her. These aren’t mere words as we well know, and every given Sunday, at Mass, the Paschal mystery is re-presented. We recount how Our Lord meekly submitted to the powers of darkness and allowed Himself to be hung on a tree, an act that turned the tables on the Ancient Enemy and ushered in the day of salvation. Behold, says St. Paul, now is the day of salvation. And this is precisely ours, because of the sacrificial lamb of God.
Ignatian Exercise: The Two Standards
A key exercise of the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises is a meditation on the Two Standards. A standard is a banner or flag under which the followers of a particular leader rally. Imagine a vast battlefield. On one side, those who follow Lucifer, the deceiver and father of lies. His standard is pleasing to the eye, the glamor of evil in full force, his followers the possessors of the sleek and the shiny, the latest and the “greatest.” On the other hand, a Lamb that seemed to have been slain. The banner is the crucifix. And in its ranks, those bearing weapons of righteousness, wielding the word of God, sharper than a two-edged sword that penetrates even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. Whose side are you on? The Eucharistic Renewal is at hand!
A Higher Standard
Jesus’ words intrigued the great Indian leader, M.K. Gandhi and he would later say: An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind. He took literally the words of Christ and suffered physical violence. And, even turning the other cheek when receiving bruising punishment in South Africa and India, going on to become one of the greatest disciples of non-violence (ahinsa in Hindi, the Indian language) the world has ever seen. As the story goes, he once decided to visit a church in Calcutta. But, was turned away by the ushers, because it was only for the whites. This caused him to turn his back on Christ and another famous saying is attributed to him: If it wasn’t for the Christians, I would be Christian.
Ouch! Brothers and sisters, we who claim to be Christians, need to live up to the name and the standard of the Lamb who was slain for our sins and the sins of the World. May the Sacred Heart of Jesus fill us with His pure love. And spur us on to act in, for, and with His holy name.
Great Reflection (as usual). Hope all is well with you and your family. Your Higher Standard paragraph was a great finish to a wonderful set-up. God Bless, Jerry.