Often at funerals we hear how the deceased is already in heaven and how wonderful s/he was during their life. Sometimes I say to myself: "maybe we should ask the opinion of his ex-wives!" The standard given to us for holiness in today, nevertheless, sets the bar very high indeed! The challenge is: "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them." (Lk 6: 32) Can I identify in my own life where I have loved those who do not love me? Can I tell a story of how I turned the other cheek to an insult? When did I last genuinely bless those who curse and abuse me even if only in my prayer? With the Sermon on the Plain in Luke and that on the Mount in Matthew we are obliged to see where our faith is in practice. If we do not see evidence for this the best time to start is now: "See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! We are putting no obstacle in anyone's, way, so that no fault can be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings imprisonments, riots, labours, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honour and dishonour, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as imposters, and yet we are true; as unknown, and yet we are well known; and dying, and see - we are alive; as punished, and not yet killed; as sorrowful, yet, always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything." (2 Cor. 6: 2-10)
No comments:
Post a Comment