Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time(Click here for readings)
Jesus
said to his disciples: "You have heard that it was said, An eye for
an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to
one who is evil...."
Jezebel represents a rotting soul filled with greed, jealousy, hate, and
revenge. By contrast, Jesus represents a blooming soul filled with love,
compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance.
Our Lord desires for us to offer no resistance toward one who is evil. In
fact, the fruits of the Holy Spirit can help us. Saint Paul writes:
....The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and
self-control. Against such there is no law. Now those who belong to
Christ have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians
5:22-24)
How can we handle the nastiness of the Jezebels in our lives? How can we
"keep calm and carry on" when so much evil lurks around us?
Here are some examples of how to offer no resistance under the guidance of the
fruits of the Holy Spirit:
Turn the other cheek
(Fruits: peace, self-control) When
a person strikes our right cheek with criticisms, insults, and negativity, the
best thing is to remain self-controlled. Don't return the venom. Turn the
other cheek straight in their direction as if to say, "I know you're angry
with me. I've offended you even though I may not have meant to. You can
say what you wish. I'm sorry for harm." Many times people are ready
for the brawl; however, simply acting in a passive manner throws them off
guard.
Self-control allows peace to enter our hearts and minds in ways that are pleasing
to the Lord.
Hand over your cloak (Fruits: gentleness, faithfulness) Many lawsuits,
along with hefty legal fees, can be prevented if people settled their
disagreements. Faith and trust have been violated. One party feels as if
they have been cheated by another. When we acknowledge our guilt, and
make amends for what we have done wrong, we demonstrate good character and
judgment. Symbolically, we hand over to the prosecutor our own cloak
saying, "I wish to obey the law from now on. Here is a token of my
commitment."
When we have faith in one another, we become more gentle and caring.
Walk another two miles (Fruits: patience, kindness) When we
volunteer to help others in need, sometimes we are asked to commit more time
than planned. Perhaps an elderly person wants to chat at the nursing home
a while longer. A child asks to be read a second or third story before
going to sleep. The fruit of patience encourages us to walk that extra mile.
Service to others is a rewarding
experience that should never be taken for granted.
Patience allows us to love and appreciate others as children of God.
Give to one who asks (Fruits: joy, generosity) When driving
down the street, we may notice a homeless person holding a sign requesting a
handout. A co-worker may ask to borrow $20 to fill up the gas tank.
In each one of these cases, a person is asking for another's help. We
should never turn our back to others in need regardless of our dislikes or pre-conceived
notions. When we wipe away our prejudices, and help others with kindness and
compassion, we are filled with an inner joy.
The inner joy as a result of our generosity is truly liberating.
Life's Jezebels
Those who are evil (the Jezebels of life) will try every
trick in the playbook to get us to lose our tempers, fight, argue, manipulate
and hate. Don't give into sinful temptations. Allow God to handle
difficult matters in his own way and on his own time frame. The Jezebels
in our lives can serve a meaningful purpose: to teach us a valuable lesson.
We can learn good behavior by observing the bad deeds in others,
determined not to repeat them. Best of all, we see God in action when
justice is served. The wicked will not stand a chance again the Almighty
power of God.
Always remember that the
greatest fruit of the Holy Spirit is Love.
When we love one another, including our enemies, we put on the mind of
Christ. Offer no resistance and keep the Sacred Heart of Jesus nestled
close to your own heart!
He will
provide the way and the means, such as you could never have imagined. Leave it
all to Him, let go of yourself, lose yourself on the Cross, and you will find
yourself entirely. (Saint Catherine of Siena)
This meditation was written by Jennifer Burgin. Please visit her blog: Jennifer's Spectrum of Spirituality
I like that you break down each of these actions into recognizable virtues. It asserts that Jesus preaches something more than utter passivity in the face of evil, but active good. There's a sense of daring in turning the other cheek, a magnanimity in giving one's coat, of personal excellence in walking the extra mile, of general charity in giving. One does not submit or oblige because of inferiority or weakness, but out of strength provided by God. The milquetoast Christian resorts to these lines as an excuse for doing nothing in the face of evil when in fact it should motivate him to do even more to encourage the good.
ReplyDeleteUnlike Jezebel who preyed on the weak, St. Catherine of Sienna exhibited the love and power of God as she nursed those afflicted with the plague, dictated her dialogues with God (which led to her status as a "Doctor" of the Church), and urged the Pope to return to Rome. Her life attests to the truth of her statement that one finds oneself entirely on the Cross.
There was the story of Mother Teresa who went into bakery asking for bread for a starving child. The baker spit in Mother Teresa's face. Mother Teresa said, "Thank you for that gift, and now something for the child?"
DeleteBrilliant.
Charity and magnanimity can really disarm people. Love is really the best weapon we have.
On another note, please keep our All Saints and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton teens (and adult leaders!) from Mission Possible in your prayers this week! We need it!