Love Of Enemies

"You have heard, that it was said: Love your neighbor and do not do good, to your enemy.  But this I tell you: love your enemies; and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your FATHER in heaven.  For HE makes HIS sun rise on both the wicked and the good; and HE gives rain to both the just and the unjust.

If you love those who love you, what is special about that?  Do not even tax collectors do as much?  And if you are friendly only to your friends, what is so exceptional about that?  Do not even the pagans do as much?  As for you, be perfect, as your heavenly FATHER is perfect." - Matthew 5:43-48  

(Love your neighbor.  Here we come to the last of the opposites between the Old Law and the New.  The Old Testament spoke of loving a neighbor and this was a matter of solidarity among the members of the people of GOD.  With the Gospel the word "love" is not only given a wider dimension: it introduces us into a world totally different.  Solidarity within the group is supported by an instinct inscribed in nature.  This love however does not cross the frontiers that separate social groups: these only exist and find their identity in opposing others.   

Do not do good to your enemy.  The text is not found in the Scriptures as it stands but its equivalent is in several places [Deuteronomy 7:2].  Referring to enemies of the nation rather than to personal enemies, we are asked to be wary of them, not to help them and even to exterminate them, rather than share their errors.  If in many countries today it is understood that there is no frontier for love, it must be recognized that this ideal is a fruit of the Gospel: JESUS has enlightened our minds by asking us to model the love of our neighbor on the universal love of GOD the FATHER.  We have only to open a newspaper to see that this love of neighbor, whatever it be, and even if it comes from a social, national or religious group, in enmity with ours, remains incomprehensible to the majority, even in Christian countries.  When we realize that there is a place for everyone in the present world and that GOD directs everything for the benefit of all, we see things as GOD does and are perfect as the FATHER is perfect.

Love your enemies: Mark 12;31; Luke 10:27; Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14; Romans 12:20; Luke 23:34; Acts 7:60; Romans 12:14; Ephesians 5:1.)

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An Eye For An Eye And A Tooth For A Tooth

"You have heard that it was said: An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.  But I tell you this: do not oppose evil with evil; if someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn and offer the other.  If someone sues you in the court for your shirt, give him your coat as well.  If someone forces you to go one mile, go two miles with him.  Give when asked, and do not turn your back on anyone who wants to borrow from you." - Matthew 5:38-42  

(An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.  We read this in the Scriptures because in the world of that time it was a wholesome maxim [Deuteronomy 19:18-21].  It claimed to put a limit to the thirst for vengeance and reminded judges and the community itself of the duty to defend its members against those who abuse the weak.

Do not oppose evil with evil.  JESUS asks us to approach an adversary in the same way as this adversary may be approaching us: who is the wicked one?

Offer the other cheek: be the first to be free of the web of violence.  As in judo, surprise the other by making the very move he was not expecting: he may then see that he was mistaken.  JESUS has no doubt that this renunciation of violence and of our own interests obliges the FATHER to intervene and come to our aid.  Do not forget that JESUS wants us to "see GOD" at work in our lives.

If someone forces you to go one mile.  JESUS speaks to farmers who are humiliated and oppressed by foreign armies.  Many times, they are obliged to carry the burden of the soldiers.  Their usual reaction is resigned submission concealing hatred and desire for revenge.  Would they be capable of responding to such a counsel?  It is certain that had they practiced it, they might have saved their nation from destruction.)  

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Man The Viceroy Of GOD

When I observe the heavens,

the work of YOUR hands,

the moon, and the stars YOU set in their place--

what is man, that YOU be mindful of him;

the son of man, that YOU should care for him?

Yet YOU made him a little less than a god;

YOU crowned him with glory and honor

and gave him the works of YOUR hands;

YOU have put all things under his feet--

sheep and oxen without number,

and even the beasts of the field,

the birds of the air, the fish of the sea,

and all that swim the paths of the ocean."

- Psalm 8:4-5. 6-7. 8-9

(This psalm is a lyrical reflection on the making and endowment of man: 'Let us make man in our own image... let him have dominion over the fish, the birds, the beasts' [Genesis 1:26].  He is little less than a god because he has a share in GOD's dominion.  He is much greater than the stars because, child though he is before the Eternal GOD, he has a voice for praise.

Everything speaks to us about GOD, whose Name is admirable, just as HIS works are.  It is a childlike adequate language to praise our Great Master [cf. Matthew 21:16].  No one can build himself if he has not yet sought his mission in the world.  We are nothing without our brothers and sisters who struggle or vegetate in the anthills of the entire world.  Wherever there is a human being, he or she is tenderly cared for by GOD.  This psalm can be sung as a celebration of human dignity and divine greatness.)

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"In A General Way, Don't Take Oaths."

"You have also heard that people were told in the past: Do not break your oath; an oath sworn to the LORD must be kept.  But I tell you this: do not take oaths.  Do not swear by the heavens, for they are GOD's throne; nor by the earth, because it is HIS footstool; nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great king.  Do not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black.  Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes' and 'No' mean 'No.'  Anything else you say comes from the evil one." -  Matthew 5:33-37  

(Do not take oaths.  This sentence must not be understood: "You shall never take an oath", but: "In a general way, don't take oaths."

Many invoke the name of GOD on any occasion.  Is it because they truly know HIM and have HIM in mind?  If we use HIS name casually, it is because we do not experience the weight of HIS presence.  What a lack of respect to call on GOD to testify to our sincerity when we do not even recognize all that is false and unclean within us!

Anything else you say comes from the devil, and even the preoccupation of defending and justifying oneself in the eyes of others.  See also Matthew 23:16; James 5:12.)

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Do Not Commit Adultery

"You have heard that it was said: Do not commit adultery.  But I tell you this: anyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent, has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

So, if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away!  It is much better for you to lose a part of your body, than to have your whole body thrown into hell.  If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away!  It is better for you to lose a part of your body, than to have your whole body thrown into hell.

It was also said:  Anyone who divorces his wife, must give her a written notice of divorce.  But what I tell you is this:  if a man divorces his wife, except in the case of unlawful union, he causes her to commit adultery.  And the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery." - Matthew 5:27-32 

(Do not commit adultery.  For many, conjugal fidelity is a burdensome and old-fashioned law, which they merely admire in others.  JESUS replaces fidelity among the laws of the interior world, where GOD, the Faithful One is to reign.

If your right eye...  Here we must underline the opposition between: your hand, your eye, and: you.  In another place JESUS will say that we must be able to give up everything, but here HE dares to add: even your physical integrity.  

All of us are looking for happiness, promotion and security, but what are those criteria worth?  All strive to live fully their life and enjoy without limits their own health and body, but here JESUS tells us that true life is elsewhere and that true self creates itself while accepting mutilations of the present life.

It is only a matter of sacrificing what could drag us to "major fault and sin'?  The word of JESUS goes far beyond.  As much as we complain about the misery and meaninglessness of our life, we conserve it at any cost with the hope of still enjoying this world.  What if real sin were to avoid any risk and self-sacrifice when GOD is calling?

JESUS speaks of a hell of fire, because there is nothing worse than this final result: a lost life that has not been fruitful, and the abortion of our eternal self.

Anyone who divorces his wife... Here this saying of JESUS is given as an example of the courageous decisions that a Christian may be called upon to make.  GOD sometimes asks for heroic sacrifices.  The one who does not choose the difficult way necessarily loses something of the Gospel.

Except in the case of unlawful union.  These words are not found in the other quotations of this saying of JESUS.  Why did Matthew put them?  In fact, there are two possible interpretations.

First, it can be understood that one spouse has an extra licentious relationship, and then the other is allowed to separate.

Second, it can be understood that the one entering the Church through baptism is living with an unlawful union, and then this marriage or concubinage does not tie him.)

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The LORD Is My Shepherd

"HE makes me lie down in green pastures.

HE leads me beside the still waters,

HE restores my soul.

HE guides me through the right paths

for HIS name's sake.

YOU spread a table before me

in the presence of my foes.

YOU anoint my head with oil;

my cup is overflowing.

Goodness and kindness will follow me

all the days of my life,

I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

as long as I live."

- Psalm 23:2-3. 5. 6

(In the course of years of the Shepherd-LORD took flesh and died for HIS sheep - thus HE led the way through a dark valley to pastures beyond.  We follow without fear.  And if we should falter, HE takes home in HIS arms [Luke 15:5-6].  To such a shepherd we sing our hymn.  But if, with the psalmist, we may change our picture, HE is our generous host, too.  The brimming cup HE offers was dearly bought: 'Drink!  This is MY blood that shall be shed.'

We will be on our way until we reach the Promised Land.  While we journey, this psalm will give us light and consolation.  It is not the repose of death that we await but the resurrection that brings us to the FATHER.  Do we need any more assurance than that to become a true Christian, i.e., CHRIST-like?

The original manuscript uses the word 'YAHWEH is my shepherd.'  Since this psalm is a common, everyday prayer we use, for pastoral purposes, we use the known expression 'The LORD is my shepherd.')   

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More Perfect Law

"Do not think that I have come to remove the Law and the Prophets.  I have not come to remove but to fulfill them.  I tell you this: as long as heaven and earth last, not the smallest letter or stroke of the law will change until all is fulfilled. 

So then, whoever breaks the least important of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be the least in the kingdom of heaven.  On the other hand, whoever obeys them and teaches others to do the same will be great in the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 5:17-19 

(Here begins the presentation of the new Law.  It is far from what is often sought in a religion: practices to observe, fasts, prayers, good works with which one wins salvation.  JESUS says little about this because the Bible has dealt at length with this subject, and the study of the Bible itself shows that these laws and practices are always linked to a certain culture and have to be adapted to the times.

Law.  At times this word indicates all the religion of Israel.  The Law and the Prophets: was a way of indicating the whole Bible.

Not the smallest letter or stroke of the Law will change until all is fulfilled.  JESUS does not refer to the commandments.  Rather HE affirms that the religion founded on the Old Testament's Scripture was a temporary, yet necessary, step in the history of salvation.  The prophecies had to be fulfilled; the rites and sacrifices of that religion expressed in a veiled manner the mystery of sin and mercy that would be fulfilled in the person and the work of JESUS.  With HIM comes the perfect and definitive fellowship of GOD with humankind.

For us as well, observing the laws of the Bible is not an end in itself.  They are an expression of real love and are its guidelines.  In obeying them we become receptive to the Spirit who will lead us.  In this way we discover a "righteousness" or perfection far superior to the canonists of the time: the teachers of the law and the Pharisees.

So then, whoever breaks the least important of these commandments ... Here JESUS is referring to the commandments.)  

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Salt And Light

"You are the salt of the earth.  But if salt has lost its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?  It has become useless.  It can only be thrown away and people will trample on it.

You are the light of the world.  A city built on a mountain cannot be hidden.  No one lights a lamp and covers it; instead, it is put on a lamp stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, your light must shine before others, so that they may see the good you do, and praise your FATHER in heaven." - Matthew 5:13-16  

(JESUS has just designated those who are called to the kingdom.  First of all, HE will clarify their mission: to be the light of the world and not merely a light in the world.  This does not mean that all people are to enter the Church, but that the Church has to be salt and light to the world.  Scripture mentions salt as the element that preserves food.  The covenant of salt was the Covenant of GOD with those who were to serve HIM forever [Numbers 18:19].  So the disciples of JESUS are called salt of the earth because through them the world benefits from the lasting Covenant with GOD.  They must continually enkindle in the world the desire and struggle for true justice and perfection and not allow human societies to become satisfied with mediocrity.

You are the light: JESUS does not mean "You are the best in the world," but "GOD has chosen you to be a minority and through you HE will make HIMSELF known."  You will experience [both you and the Church] much that you would perhaps prefer to avoid, but which will be for the world, a sign from GOD.)

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JESUS' Last Words

"Near the cross of JESUS stood HIS mother, HIS mother's sister Mary, who was the wife of Cleophas, and Mary of Magdala.  When JESUS saw the Mother, and the disciple whom HE loved, HE said to the Mother, 'Woman, this is your son.'  Then HE said to the disciple, 'There is your mother.'  And from that moment the disciple took her to his own home." - John 19:25-27 

(At the moment of Man's fall, Eve was with Adam.  Now, at the moment of restoration, that is, the second creation, another woman is with the Son of Man [the Human One], the second Adam.  Mary has neither spouse nor son who can receive her and, for the Jews, a woman who remains alone would be considered cursed.  JESUS entrusts Mary to John and, also, John to Mary.  John testifies having heard both phrases.  Notice that he writes: JESUS said to the Mother, and not, to his Mother.  This is a new symbolic gesture of JESUS.  Mary will be the Mother of believers.

Through this last deed of JESUS, the Church discovered something about the mystery of the Christian life.  The believer is a member of a spiritual family.  As a child needs a father and a mother to grow normally so, too, does the believer need Mary and the heavenly FATHER.  This is an unchanging doctrine of the Church, which in no way attempts to make the creature equal with the Creator.

Not without reason has GOD given us a mother: if it is a misfortune for a child not to have known a mother, it is also a misfortune for a believer when his religion only expresses itself in masculine terms.  The believer who welcomes Mary to his home as did John is neither a fanatic nor a quibbler regarding faith.  There exists a form of humility, joy, interior peace and simple piety characteristic of those Catholics who have known how to open their doors to Mary without throwing out their Savior.)

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"Receive The Holy Spirit!"

"On the evening of that day, the first day after the Sabbath, the doors were locked where the disciples were, because of their fear of the Jews.  But JESUS came, and stood among them, and said to them, 'Peace be with you!'  Then HE showed them HIS hands and HIS side.  The disciples, seeing the LORD, were full of joy.

Again, JESUS said to them, 'Peace be with you!  As the FATHER has sent ME, so I send you.'  After saying this, HE breathed on them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit!  Those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; those whose sins you retain, they are retained.'" - John 20:19-23  

(Just as in the first creation GOD infused life into Adam, so, too, JESUS' breath communicates life to the new spiritual creation.  CHRIST, who died to take away the sin of the world, now leaves to HIS own the power to forgive.

Thus, the hope of the Biblical people has been realized.  GOD led them in such a way that they felt the universal presence of sin, and so they offered animals in the temple uninterruptedly to appease GOD.  That river of blood failed to destroy sin, and the priests themselves offered sacrifices for their own sins before praying to GOD for the others.  Ceremonies and rites had no power to purify the heart or to give the Holy Spirit.

Those who strive for the spiritual life, suffer above all from a keen awareness of the universal presence of sin.  They grieve deeply at not yet having attained total liberation from sin.  Hence, they recognize the forgiveness of sin as the greatest gift given to the Church.

The capacity to forgive is the only power able to release the great tensions within humankind.  Although it does not easily conquer hearts, it is an invaluable secret, and the Church should consider it as its own particular treasure.

One who does not know how to forgive does not know how to love.  On making us aware of sin and purifying us from it, the Church helps us demonstrate a more authentic love for the neighbor.)

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