OMELIE / Omelie EN

20 feb 2022

20/02/2022 – 7th Sunday in O.T. - year C

20/02/2022 – 7^th Sunday in O.T. - year C

Reading 1 1SAM 26,2.7-9.12-13.22-23 Psalm 102 Reading 2 1COR 15,45-49 Gospel LK 6,27-38

Saul’s hatred against David, started right after the slaying of the giant Goliath, coming from inexplicable jealous and envy, had reached a really evil stage. In this situation Saul’s very advisors needed to be supportive of his hate towards the brave young man, not to face themselves the king’s anger. David, who had risked his life for his king by facing Goliath and, following that, many enemy armies, who had intervened with the sweetness of the sound of his harp in order to sooth the spirit which was ravaging the king’s heart and mind, knew he was always in danger. The page from the book of Samuel, we are listening to today, is showing us a very surprising situation.

David does not reciprocate Saul’s hate, and he does not host resentment for his ingratitude and his murderous intentions. Despite having the possibility to defend himself and take his revenge, he does not go for it. Winning over his natural feelings, there is his faith. The faith is guiding him. He respects and defends this enemy of his because, despite the fact that he is dominated by evil, he has been anointed by God. Therefore, he does not want either to wound him or to offend him, on the contrary, he does everything he can to help him see how unjustified his hatred is. This page is good for us, many of us, so much so we should come back to it often. It is the perfect backdrop for Jesus' teaching and is preparing us to receive it without hesitation.

“Do good, bless, pray”. These holy words, are advice we can expect from every good person. But, who we should do good to? Who should we bless? Jesus is starting a new life model, and this is surprising for us: from Him we hear words we would have never thought of.

Do good to those who hate us? Bless those who curse us? Pray for those who berate us?

To react with good to evil: this is the core of the topic; to the evil happening to us and making us suffer, answer with love, goodness, blessing, so feelings we usually host in our heart. Other people’s evil should not ruin the goodness we have in us. Will we be able? If we focus our thoughts on the evil made to us we will not. Our natural reactions drive us in another direction. To be able to follow the Lord’s advice we need to keep our eyes fixed on God the Father’s desires. The Father loves all His children, also the ones making Him suffer.

He who is doing evil is not only making us suffer, but first of all the Father’s heart. He would like first thing to eradicate evil from all His children’s souls. He who does evil is in the grasp of the evil one, the enemy: he is his servant, without freedom. He who is cursing is following the enemy, Satan, and suffers, because he is in his power. That person needs to be freed, not to be further injured by his brethren. Furthermore, the Father’s pain can be healed if I follow His desire for salvation of the person who is doing evil, and not my instincts to react by matching his meanness.

Saint Paul is helping us when he tells us that we are not only Adam’s children anymore, earthly beings, but we are also part of the new Adam’s life, who is a life-giving spirit. If God is truly in us, we too are giving life to our brethren, who, being sinners, have always the need to receive love, the pure love which comes from above, from God the Father, the love which gives true life. That is the merciful love which makes us transparent regarding God, true children of His, looking like Him right because we love always and despite everything! “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful”.

Let us thank the Lord Jesus who does not want to indulge our feelings, but He would like to change them so they can reveal the Father’s face to all our brethren, even those who do not know Him yet and do not enjoy His goodness and completeness.