The New & Improved "Eye for an Eye"

Today's Readings

Jesus said to his disciples: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” - Luke 6: 36-38

If Gandhi said that the philosophy of an "eye for an eye" would make the whole world blind, then what would happen if the philosophy of "forgive and be forgiven" began sweeping the nations? The answer to that is obvious, and quite pleasing. Jesus' teaching, challenging us to be merciful, as God is merciful, is the precursor to the many peaceful, and somewhat "pie in the sky" philosophies that simply ask, "Can't we all just get along?" (R.I.P. Rodney King)

Be Merciful (Stop Judging): The simplistic notion that we can always be nice, is one that we all learn early in life. Sure it becomes more and more difficult as we grow, as advice is always easy to give, but rarely easy to follow. But Christ offered a new way of thinking, as he looked at these concepts from a beneficiary's perspective. If God does is merciful to you, then...

Forgive (Stop Condemning): Mercy in action is forgiveness, and its especially difficult when that forgiveness is not deserved! In the logic offered here, we forgive because we are forgiven. Condemnation takes a lot of negative energy, and an ongoing commitment towards feeding itself, that is you can never let it go. Forgiveness, on the other hand, also takes a lot of commitment, but it allows you to be free, letting go the burden of carrying the negative energy.

Give: If you can take on the attitude of living your life in the merciful way that God lives with you, and you can practice it by "letting go", moving forward in a spirit of forgiveness, then the challenge shared by Jesus, Gandhi, and now the GregCast, is to GIVE of yourself, so that others (and you) may receive this precious gift of God's love!  The 80's group Missing Persons offers us this "pie in the sky" notion of the value of giving in a song appropriately named "Give":

When's the last time you really touched someone
How did it feel
Did it surprise you when you found yourself unselfish
Did it seem unreal
The pressure's everywhere-everywhere around you
Beckon you to turn the other way
But I say the results are superficial
There's only one way to play
Give-when you have anything at all to give
You have everything to live for
(Give all you've got to give)
After you've given all you can
Give again, give again, give again

Measure:  The imagery of "good measure" used by Jesus is crucial, because (back in the day) when a person would go to buy flour, they were wise to be sure that the measure was "packed together and shaken down", otherwise they would not receive the full amount that was purchased.  Jesus was eluding to the old, and dishonest practice of tipping the scale in the favor of the dealer.  Our God, not only made sure to measure out our just portion, He also offers it to us "overflowing", painting the image of His abundant love coming to us in excess!  The conclusion?  "Give again, give again, give again!", and give some more, for the promise is that if you live as God loves, then you will receive even more in return!

An Evolving Equation:  I was leading a Confirmation Retreat for the youth at St. Aloysius Parish in Birmingham, Alabama this past Saturday, and this equation came off the dry erase marker on to the white board:

      (4)
L + G + D = Praxis (Faith in Action)
i       i     o
v      v
e      e

I offer this in the context of Matthews Gospel, referring to our being a light, not hidden, for all to see, so that we the world may glorify God! (Matthew 5: 14-16)  If we LIVE, "4-GIVE", GIVE and DO, then our faith IN ACTION will lead to a world of many blessings, as people will not only SEE, but BE loved by God, through the love we share!  More on this as it evolves in the coming weeks, months, and years ahead.

And Now for Something Completely Different...

Today's Readings

In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters.  Genesis 1:1

My routine of going to the Scripture to begin my day was interrupted this morning by a phone call from a concerned friend, telling me that the Pope had resigned!  What?  

In a rare moment these days, I turned on the TV.  I saw Benedict's pictures on virtually every morning show, with experts explaining all of the early details.  I waited for the "bomb shell".  Why else would any leader resign?  Was there some issue, or controversy?  Nope... After an hour or so of hearing facts and the understanding of how things work.  The Holy Father may retire if he chooses.  "If it should happen that the Roman Pontiff resigns his office, it is required for validity that he makes the resignation freely and that it be duly manifested, but not that it be accepted by anyone" (Canon 332, No. 2). 

Like a great athlete, the Holy Father is retiring at the top of his game.

Here's my first take... From my FB post earlier in the day: Our prayers are with the Holy Father this day, and for many to come.  Take a deep breath my Catholic friends, and all who care... This will pan out to be something monumental in the life of the Church.  Pope Benedict XVI has just given us a valuable lesson: Knowing when to say when, and putting one's total trust in God and the plan that is in store for us is of primary importance.  Sure, there is precedent, and the Code of Canon Law allows for this to happen, but most of all, our Holy Father is calling on our Church to stay in a proactive and ready mode of witnessing the Gospel!  He will continue to witness through a life of prayer, while the next Pope will have to hit the ground running!  There are things to do!

Now that I've looked at today's readings, I am very confident that God has a plan, for today we hear of Creation... Yep, the whole story of just how we began.  No history interpretations or lessons, just the facts.  In the beginning, there was nothing.  Then that "mighty wind" swept over us, and BANG... We're something!  Today, the Holy Spirit is upon all of us, the Church, and Pope Benedict XVI.  Once again, this mighty wind is calling the world to create itself anew!  

The Holy Father is responding ahead of time to a concern that was raised quite often during the last years of Pope John Paul II's Papacy.   Blessed John Paul the Great made a huge impression on the world as he faced illness with humility and courage.  And I know that Pope Benedict is doing the same.  But he is offering us one very important caveat... The work of the Church must be led by examples of prayer and ACTION.  He will continue to pray, but must step aside for someone else who is physically capable to fulfill the role.  This decision to resign is rare and the first such decision in more than 600 years.  I wonder if his final act as Pontiff is designed to teach us something?  

That's a silly question... Of course it is!  Like it or not, it's time for something new, and maybe, as Monty Python put it, "something completely different"!