Feb232019
Do to others as you would have them do to you: Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time
“Do to others as you would have them do to you”. These words are taken from the Gospel for the Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (Luke 6:27-38). This has often been called “the Golden Rule” and it is not unique to Christianity as it is found in other religions. We find the fullest expression of this phrase in Jesus. In the Gospel, we see the ‘radical’ nature of the teaching of Jesus; it was counter-cultural during His time and remains so today. It is much more than just treating others as you want to be treated. That is important; however, we need to do more. Jesus tells us to “love your enemies”, and “do good”, “pray for” and “bless”, those who hate and abuse you. We are to give without counting the cost and “from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt.”
Jesus speaks about being merciful, forgiving, generous, and not judging or condemning others. This is not easy to do; however, this is what it means to be a follower of Jesus. We live in a world where the opposite of what Jesus teaches seems to be the norm. Greed, selfishness, revenge and self-righteousness seem to flourish. This is why it is so difficult to follow the teachings of Jesus " we need help. In one of his morning homilies Pope Francis stated, “Here then arises the problem that we all must face daily: ‘Lord, give me the grace to become a good Christian, because I cannot do it on my own’.
This is something quite frightening at first glance " quite frightening indeed. If, however, we take the Gospel and we read the 6th chapter of St. Luke " and reread it and reread it and reread it " and let us do so " and let us ask the Lord for the grace to understand what it is to be a Christian, to understand the grace He gives to us Christians, as well, because we cannot do it on our own” (Sept. 11, 2014). The world needs us to witness to the ‘radical’ teachings of Christ. Let us pray for the grace to follow Him faithfully and generously. “For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
Lent is quickly approaching (Ash Wednesday, March 6, 2019). We should be reflecting upon how we will use these days to help us embrace conversion and spiritual renewal. Perhaps spending time in meditation on this Gospel passage could be part of our Lenten practices.
Category: Publications
Posted by: Margaret