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OMELIE / Omelie EN

24 feb 2019
24/02/2019 – 7th Sunday  in Ordinary Time

24/02/2019 – 7th Sunday  in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 1SM 26,2.7-9.12-113.22-23  Psalm 102 Reading 2 1COR 15,45-49 Gospel LK 6,27-38

 

Today Jesus is opening our eyes in order for us to be able to see what are the consequences of our faith in Him, which fruit bear welcoming His person and listening to His word. Who does not love Jesus and does not welcome Him as his “life” cannot stand today’s teaching of His, it will seem difficult to him to accept it and impossible to live it. Before listening to Jesus it is indeed necessary to convert to Him, giving Him unreserved trust: then, whatever He is teaching us will seem to us full of wisdom and it will give us life! Jesus had to say to Peter, that was not able to let Him wash his feet, “You will understand later”; the same happens to us. We will understand later the beauty and the value of His rules, after we have believed, after we have given Him full trust, after we have obeyed Him.

Before listening to the Word of Jesus, we read an event that is told in the first book of Samuel. David is cornered by Saul’s troops, who out of envy and jealousy has become his mortal enemy. David would have the possibility not only to defend himself, but even to kill the king, his enemy. His advisors advise him to take advantage of the situation, but he respects the life of the “Lord’s anointed”; he knows that to kill the one who God has anointed is like to stand against God Himself.

Jesus let us see that every man is “the image of the heavenly one” and every man’s life is consecrated by His fatherly love. And, above all, His disciples, who are listening to Him, have to become messengers of the love that the Father feels for every man: they must not dare to punish the offenses they receive. Jesus shows us God’s true face, the face of a merciful Father, and we, who come to meet Him, on our turn, need to introduce Him to others. We are not introducing Him through talking, but through living a life that is different than the common one.

Twice Jesus repeats: “Love your enemies”. To love our enemies is not normal. I can do it if I can see the enemies as victims of somebody’s who is also my enemy. The one who would like to ruin me succeeded in ruining a brother’s life, to the point to turn him against me. I need to save this brother from the enemy we have in common, I need to help him: I am able to do it with the wine and the oil of my love. The Enemy curses, hates, mistreats, strikes on the cheeks and rips off the clothes: we need to protect ourselves against his malice. If I were to answer in the same fashion, I would become like him, I would change my goodness in meanness, I would let myself to be influenced in a negative way. If I am good, why should I become bad?

Goodness, true love, generosity need to be put to the test in order to be proven real, and, above all, to be proven divine, becoming the Father, who “is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked”. How can I possibly call myself child of God, if I do not have a love similar to the Father’s?

I can defend myself from the true Enemy shielding myself with love, God’s. Then I will not have part in the wickedness, and maybe I will be able to take from him the brother fallen in his trap, as well.

Jesus instructions are strong, surprising, wonderful. We need to read them over and over again in order to be able to appreciate their beauty and to take them in. He is also speaking about a prize for whoever starts bringing love beyond the normal boundaries established by men. “Your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High”. Love needs to become forgiveness as well, and even preemptive forgiveness that goes to the point not to judge and not to condemn. Love, with prayer, brings in front of God whoever wants to be our enemy: there, we are all equally loved, consoled, strengthened, restored and renewed.

There, in front of God, we will not only become living being like the first Adam, but like the last Adam a life-giving spirit. In God’s heart, both we and our so-called enemies, will become spiritual, heavenly. It is so easy to be from the earth, to be as we are, able to take care of earthly things, all full of that selfishness that thinks of material well-being, full of reactions that are just like the actions that have befallen us and hurt us. God instead wants us to be like Him, truly new, different. He, through Jesus, is giving us the possibility and the joy to answer with goodness to badness, in a way not to end up being earthly, but heavenly.

If someone tells you that, obeying Jesus, you are not keeping your feet on solid ground, tell them that it is true, and you would rather keep your feet in the sky.  Have you welcomed Jesus? Then you are heavenly, and it is clear, it needs to be clear. Starting from Saint Paul, the Christians have not taken offense when they have been accused to be outsider, on the contrary! We are proud that we are seen as different! In the world we do not need aliens, but those who bring the example of a different way of living with their love different from the common one, that, when it is there, it is limited to relatives, benefactors and to the people we hope to receive something from.

 

Lord Jesus, give me the possibility to live in a way to fill my love with yours. Fill me with your Spirit, strengthen me in my faith in You, make me a tool of the Father’s merciful love!