From Fr. Tony Kadavil's Collection:
1) “If I could talk
face to face with the pilot who dropped the bomb”: On the Veterans Day of
November 1996, Phan Thi Kim Phuc, now 33, came to the black granite Vietnam
Veterans Memorial as a wife and mother, to tell several thousand spectators
that she forgives those who bombed her village and has put the past behind her.
Kim Phuc placed a wreath at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington and
delivered a short speech. When Kim Phuc was only 9 years old, her picture was
taken by an Associated Press photographer and it stirred the conscience of the
world. Moments after the picture was taken, Kim Phuc lost consciousness and was
taken to a hospital by the photographer, Nick Ut, who later won a Pulitzer
Prize for the photo. Her village had just been hit by a napalm bomb attack by
the South Vietnamese air force sponsored by the USA air force. Her two cousins
were killed instantly. Kim Phuc’s clothes were burned off her. In the
photograph, this little girl was running, naked, in pain and terror. In front
of the wall inscribed with the names of more than 58,000 U.S. war dead, Kim
Phuc said that she was focused on the future. Speaking to a hushed crowd in
Washington, she made the following statement: “I have suffered a lot from my
physical and emotional pain. Sometimes I thought I could not live, but God
saved my life and gave me Faith and Hope. If I could talk face to face with the
pilot who dropped the bomb, I would tell him we cannot change history, but we
should try to do things for the present and for the future to promote peace.”
No retaliation! Just tough, wise love. (
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1996-11-12/news/9611120185_1_phan-thi-kim-phuc-vietnam-veterans-memorial-fund-war-victim).
http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/04/vietnam-war-napalm-girl-photo-today
Video=
https://youtu.be/wYC7RsU3OKs.
That’s the spirit of Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount given in today’s
Gospel. It’s the greatest power on earth. In the face of it, the devil
trembles.
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
2) “The goal is
reconciliation and redemption.” Martin Luther King, Jr. would take
this principle from the Sermon on the Mount and use it to revolutionize
America. King used to say, “No man can pull me down so low as to make me hate
him.” The real goal, said King, was not to defeat the white man, but to awaken
a sense of shame within the oppressor and to challenge his false sense of
superiority. “The goal is reconciliation, redemption, the creation of the
beloved community.” The words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount which Martin
Luther King paraphrased, are totally out of step with our present world, because
our world believes in retaliation. 75 percent of Christians believe in capital
punishment because they think we can stop the killing by killing the killers.
That’s retaliation.
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
3) “He couldn’t
fight, either.” One day a truck driver stopped at a restaurant for
dinner and ordered a steak. Before he could eat it, in walked a motorcycle
gang, with dirty leather jackets and long, unkempt hair. They took the man’s steak,
cut it into six pieces, and ate it. The driver said nothing. He simply paid the
bill and walked out. One of the gang members said, “That man couldn’t talk. He
didn’t say a word.” Another one said, “He couldn’t fight, either; he didn’t
lift a hand.” A waiter added, “I would say that he couldn’t drive either. On
his way out of the parking lot, he ran over six motorcycles crushing all of
them.” Something in us loves that story, because we like retaliation. But in
the Sermon on the Mount Jesus prescribes forgiving love as the Christian trump
card.
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
4) The Rev. Cleveland
Duke of Akron is a part-time judo instructor. He says, “I teach you what to
do after you’ve turned both cheeks.” He teaches self-defense.
5) In Bill Adler’s
popular book of letters from kids, an 8-year-old boy from Nashville,
Tennessee makes this contribution: “Dear Pastor, I know God wants us to love
everybody, but He surely never met my sister.” Sincerely, Arnold.
6) “What does agápe love
mean?” asked the teacher. “When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t
bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So, my grandfather does it for her all
the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s agápe love.”
(Rebecca- age 8).
6) Forgiving others:
The pastor’s Sunday homily on today’s Gospel about was forgiving our enemies.
Toward the end of the homily, he asked his congregation, “How many of you have
forgiven their enemies”? About half held up their hands. He then repeated his
question. As it was past lunchtime, this time about 80 percent held up their
hands. He then repeated his question again. All responded, except one small
elderly lady. “Mrs. Jones?” inquired the pastor, are you not willing to forgive
your enemies? “I don’t have any.” she replied. smiling sweetly. “Mrs. Jones,
That is very unusual. How old are you?” “Ninety-three,” she replied. “Oh Mrs.
Jones, what a blessing and a lesson to us all you are. Would you please come
down in front of this congregation and tell us all how a person can live
ninety-three years and not have an enemy in the world?” The little sweetheart
of a lady tottered down the aisle, faced the congregation, and said “I outlived
the old hags.”
32- Additional
anecdotes:
1)
You shall not
bear hatred: Time was when even villains held Bishops rather in awe,
and for that reason were less ready to mistreat them than other members of the
human race. This is no longer true- witness the assassination of Archbishop
Oscar Romero of El Salvador, and the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul
II. In recent years, some American bishops have been set upon by some of our
home-grown criminals. For instance, one Saturday night in 1983, 69-year-old
Bishop Maurice Dingman of Des Moines came out of a convenience store where he
had broken his last $20 bill to pay for gasoline. When he got into his car, one
face appeared, and then a second. The two men forced themselves into the
bishop’s car and demanded money. He showed them all he had: “Chicken feed.”
“Co-operate or else!” they threatened. Whereupon the one in the driver’s seat,
reeking of marijuana, started on a wild drive to the next town. When they
passed a bank with a borrowing slot, they stopped and ordered the bishop to use
his plastic card and draw out some money. The bishop replied that he didn’t own
a card. This left the captives frustrated, but all the more dangerous. Bishop
Dingman could have run off but thought that would just invite violence.
Finally, after the pair had partied in a house of friends, they drove the
bishop back to Des Moines in the early morning. All that night, Bishop Dingman
admitted later on, “I never prayed so hard in my life!” A few years before
this, robbers had broken into the house of Bishop John Morkowsky of Houston,
Texas. When they took the small money that he had, they beat him up and blinded
him in one eye. Likewise, in the early 1980’s, criminals in Cleveland murdered
a Catholic black man named Amos Lyke. His brother was James P. Lyke, auxiliary
bishop of Cleveland. This was another form of cruelty. Had these three bishops
been vengeful, they could have tracked down their enemies and demanded a tooth
for a tooth. True, they were willing to assist the police in the interests of
public order. But beyond that they would not go. “I want to do something for
people like this,” said Bishop Dingman. “I never felt any desire to get revenge
on my assailants,” said Bishop Morkowsky. And Bishop Lyke at his brother’s
funeral begged God to forgive the murderers of Amos. In today’s Gospel, Jesus
tells, “love your enemies, pray for your persecutors.” This is the true
Christian spirit. How consoling, then, to see our teachers of Christian love,
the Pope, the Archbishop, and these three Bishops, really practicing
themselves, the forgiveness they preach to others. (Father Robert F.
McNamara).
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
2) “I’m not so sure.” In
the movie
Gandhi, the great Indian leader is walking one day with a
Presbyterian missionary, Charlie Andrews. The two suddenly find their way
blocked by young thugs. The Reverend Andrews takes one look at the menacing
gangsters and decides to run for it. Gandhi stops him and asks, “Doesn’t the
New Testament say if an enemy strikes you on the right cheek you should offer
him the left?” Andrews mumbles something about Jesus speaking metaphorically.
Gandhi replies, “I’m not so sure. I suspect he meant you must show courage–be
willing to take a blow, several blows, to show you will not strike back nor
will you be turned aside.”
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
3) “Yeah, but it’s my
way.” In the 1985 movie,
Witness, Harrison Ford plays
a tough Philadelphia detective who uncovers corruption within his department.
To protect himself and a young boy who has witnessed a murder, Ford’s
character, John Book, hides out among the Pennsylvania Amish, the community
from which the little boy comes. In one scene of the movie, Book and several of
the Amish go into town for a day of shopping. While they are in town, the
buggies driven by the Amish are involved in a traffic jam with a car. The
occupants of the car emerge to confront the Amish in the buggies. With
unwarranted hostility, they taunt one young Amish man. One of the men from the
car, a young tough, smears ice cream in the Amish man’s face. Ignoring the
protests of an older Amish man, Book goes over to beat up the ruffians who have
bullied the young Amish man. The older Amish man insists to Book that, “it’s
not our way.” To which Book responds, “Yeah, but it’s my way.” The scene from
the movie helps us focus on the content of our passage of Scripture for this
morning. The Amish, a community in the Anabaptist tradition, sees the Sermon on
the Mount as part of their core Scripture. The reason the young man in the
scene doesn’t fight back against the bullies is that he is turning the other
cheek, as Jesus said to do. In order to avoid violence, in order to avoid
anyone getting hurt, he willingly accepts humiliation.
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
4) We are angry over
9/11, but our anger doesn’t control us: In May of 2006, the whole
country had to confront an enemy. His cold angry eyes stared at us from our
newspapers and television sets. Zacarias Moussaoui was sentenced to life in
prison. He was the only person tried in American courts for the terrorist
attack on 9/11. Many people in our country, including many family members of
the victims of 9/11, had hoped that the courts would sentence Moussaoui to
death. Some people see a life sentence as an act of mercy. One juror kept
Moussaoui from a death sentence. Technically, one of the issues was just how
involved Moussaoui was in the 9/11 plot. Nevertheless, many people interpreted
the jury’s decision as a declaration that we in the United States are not ruled
by vengeance. We can step back from our rage at 9/11 and make careful
distinctions. We are angry over 9/11, but our anger doesn’t control us.
Fr.
Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
5) “It’s a new life,
almost like a resurrection.” Immaculee Ilibagiza was a 22-year-old
university student in the 1990s when terrible violence broke out in her home
country of Rwanda. Hutus killed her parents, her brothers, and hundreds of her
Tutsi friends. A Hutu pastor, who risked his life to save her, hid her and six
other women. They lived in a small bathroom, a wooden wardrobe covering the
door. For three months, they endured hunger, fear, and the sounds of soldiers
in the house unsuccessfully searching for Tutsis. In those cramped quarters,
she began to pray the Rosary. Always she stumbled over the Lord’s Prayer:
“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” She
knew that the prayer called her to forgive those who had killed her family and
endangered her. She didn’t think she could do it, but she realized she was
consumed by hate. She was afraid she would become like the people who had
killed her family. Nevertheless, in her mind, forgiving her family’s killers
was like forgiving the devil. Finally, afraid that her hate would crush her
heart, she asked God to forgive those who had done her so much harm. Slowly,
with God’s help, she was able to let go and forgive her family’s killers.
Eventually, she even visited one of her brother’s killers in prison, taking his
hand and offering forgiveness. She says that forgiveness saved her life. “It’s
a new life, almost like a resurrection.” [Bob Smietana, “Woman Challenged to
Forgive Massacre of Family in Rwanda,”
United Methodist Reporter (152.51,
April 28, 2006), p. 3A.]
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
6) Hate destroys the
hater: In
Martin Luther
King’s sermon, “Knock at
Midnight,
“ King says, “My
brother A.D. and I were traveling from Atlanta to Chattanooga on a dark and
stormy night. For some reason, travelers were very discourteous that night.
Hardly a single driver dimmed their lights. Finally, A.D. who was driving,
said, ‘I have had enough’ as he powered his lights back on bright. I said,
‘Don’t do that, you are going to cause a wreck and get us killed.’ Somebody
must have sense enough to dim their lights, to break the cycle of hate. If
somebody doesn’t have sense enough to turn on the dim and beautiful lights of
love, we are all going to plunge into the abyss.”‘
A suicide bomber blows up a crowded bus in Israel. Israel
responds by destroying an entire Palestinian village. The Palestinians react
with more suicide bombers. Who is going to break the cycle of hate?
A Chinese Proverb puts it
succinctly, “Whoever pursues revenge should dig two graves; one for his
injurer, and one for himself.”
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
7) “We will pray.” Bonhoeffer,
facing death said, in
Cost of Discipleship, “We are approaching an
age of widespread persecution. Our adversaries seek to root out the Christian
Church because they cannot live side by side with us. So, what shall we do? We
will pray. It will be a prayer of earnest love for those who stand around and
gaze at us with eyes aflame with hatred, and who have perhaps already raised
their hands to kill us.”
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
8) “With malice
toward none; with charity for all:” In his second Inaugural address,
March 4, 1865, just a little over a month before he would be assassinated,
Abraham Lincoln uttered these immortal words: “With malice toward none; with
charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right,
let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds,
to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his
orphan—to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves
and with all nations.” Abraham Lincoln spoke those words at the end of a time
in our nation’s history when America almost did to herself what no one else has
been able to do—destroy her. Though the war was over, the battle was not.
Bitterness, rancor and anger were still at a fever pitch in this country. But
Lincoln knew something that Jesus will teach us today, and that is that the
only salve that can cure the wound of bitterness between enemies is the salve
of love. But this is more than just an ordinary love. It is a super-ordinary,
supernatural love that loves the absolutely unlovable.
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
9) “Michael Whitman
is no friend of mine.” Toward the end of the Revolutionary War, a
turncoat traitor, named Michael Whitman, was captured. At his trial it was
proven that he had given the British army invaluable assistance on numerous
occasions. He was found guilty of spying and sentenced to death by hanging.
Michael Whitman was from a town called Ephrata. Word got back to that town of
his imprisonment and impending execution. There was a Baptist preacher who also
lived in that town whose name was Peter Miller. He heard about Michael
Whitman’s plight and walked 70 miles in the cold and the snow to Philadelphia
to see George Washington. George Washington and Peter Miller were very close
friends. Miller had done a great many favors for the army; he had given them
spiritual nourishment and emotional strength during difficult times. When he
came in to see George Washington he said, “General, I have a favor to ask of
you.” Washington said, “What is it?” He said, “I have come to ask you to pardon
Michael Whitman.” George Washington was stunned. He said, “Pastor Miller,
that’s impossible. Whitman has done everything in his power to betray us, even
offering to join the British and help destroy us. I cannot be lenient with
traitors, and for that reason I cannot pardon your friend.” Peter Miller said,
“Friend! He’s no friend of mine. He’s the bitterest enemy I’ve ever had in my
life. For years he persecuted me and harassed me. He did everything he could to
hurt my Church and to hinder the preaching of the Gospel. He even waited for me
one time after Church and beat me almost senseless, spitting in my face,
knowing full well I would not strike him back.” He said, “General, let’s get
this straight—Michael Whitman is no friend of mine.” George Washington was
puzzled. He said, “But you asked me to pardon him.” He said, “I have, and I ask
you to do it to me as a personal favor.” He said, “Why?” He said, “Because
that’s exactly what Jesus has done for you and for me.” With tears in his eyes,
George Washington walked into the next room and soon returned with a paper on
which was written the pardon of Michael Whitman. Peter Miller went personally
with him to the stockade, saved Michael Whitman from the hangman’s noose, and
personally took him back to his own home where he led him to Faith in Jesus
Christ. Peter Miller was right. What he did for Michael Whitman, Jesus Christ
has done for us, and on the cross, He spoke to us as we should speak to others:
“With malice toward none; with charity toward all.”
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
10) “Get in or I’ll
blow your head off.” Susan Apointe was getting out of her car at a
grocery store when a parolee from the state prison stuck a gun in her face and
said, “Get in or I’ll blow your head off.” Susan got back in the car but
immediately said, “In the name of Jesus you are not going to blow my head off.
Jesus loves you and I don’t hate you.” The man wanted money for his sick
daughter so Susan wrote a check for $600 and went by the bank and cashed it. He
also complained of unemployment so Susan suggested he apply at Sears where she
worked. Downtown by now, Susan told him to take her car, she would catch the
bus and with that he leaped from the car and walked away. Susan used the
information to help police put him back in prison. But she said, “I pray for
him every day. He has already had a brush with the word of God; he was sitting
on my Bible the whole time!” Was Susan Apointe extraordinarily Christian or
simply crazy? We can decide for ourselves in the light of Sermon on the
Mount.
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
11) “We’ve got to
unload all of this.” According to an A.P. account, in September 1994, Cindy
Hartman of Conway, Arkansas, walked into her house to answer the phone and was
confronted by a burglar. He ripped the phone cord out of the wall and ordered
her into a closet. Hartman dropped to her knees and asked the burglar if she
could pray for him. “I want you to know that God loves you and I forgive you,”
she said. The burglar apologized for what he had done. Then he yelled out the
door to a woman in a pickup truck: “We’ve got to unload all of this. This is a
Christian home and a Christian family. We can’t do this to them.” As Hartman
remained on her knees, the burglar returned furniture he had taken from her
home. Then he took the bullets out of his gun, handed the gun to Hartman, and
walked out the door. (PreachingToday.com) Fr. Kadavil
12) “Are you the guy
who’s always yelling at me?” Former Boston Red Sox Hall-of-Fame third
baseman Wade Boggs hated Yankee Stadium. Not because of the Yankees; they never
gave him that much trouble but because of a fan. That’s right: one fan. The guy
had a box seat close to the field, and when the Red Sox were in town, he would
torment Boggs by shouting obscenities and insults. It’s hard to imagine one fan
getting under a player’s skin, but this guy had the recipe. One day as Boggs
was warming up, the fan began his routine, yelling, ‘Boggs, you stink,’ and
variations on that theme. Boggs had enough. He walked directly over to the man,
who was sitting in the stands…and said, ‘Hey fella, are you the guy who’s
always yelling at me? The man said, ‘Yeah, it’s me. What are you going to do
about it?’ Wade took a new baseball out of his pocket, autographed it, tossed
it to the man, and went back to the field to his pre-game routine. The man
never yelled at Boggs again; in fact, he became one of Wade’s biggest fans at
Yankee Stadium. “
Love your enemies,” Jesus advises us
. It
might change them, and we know it will change you. (PreachingToday.com).
Fr.
Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
13) Should I forgive? On
February 6, 1995 our daughter was shot to death by her former boyfriend, the
father of her youngest child. At that time, the child was one year old. Our
daughter was the mother of four young boys that her father and I now
raise. We feel blessed, but I still have days when anger is at the top of
my list of emotions. The issues that our grandsons deal with are tenfold. The
father of the two oldest has never consoled them and the seventeen-year-old is
trying to put his life together from scattered pieces. I think he will manage
but it is painful for him. The next to the oldest misses his mother so deeply
and he is very good about expressing it. He is growing in awareness and
self-worth and will be fine. We have just learned that the third from the
oldest has a different father than the oldest two boys. This came to be a great
struggle to explain but we are moving on with this too. The youngest child is
so full of words that wake you up and teach you what love is and where it truly
comes from. From shattered lives you can find peace, hope, promise and great
spiritual growth if you learn not to forget but to forgive, and to keep things
honest, and not hide, but work with all aspects of the trauma. You must forgive
yourself, and know that healing takes individual time, and there is no finish
line, but a path that has twists and turns that may lead you up and down. When
you’re up, share what you have learned. When you’re down, learn what you can” (
http://www.forgiving.org). There is no
doubt that many people in our society have suffered tremendously. But we
must not live our lives filled with hate. Jesus calls us to forgive our
enemies. Gaze upon the Crucified and listen to his first of the seven words
from the Cross: “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are
doing.”
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
14) A murderer was
gassed. The warden left the death chamber and walked through the jail. A
convict shouted, “Who’s the murderer now?” An ABC News Poll says that almost
80% of Americans support capital punishment. 42% of that number says that they
seek revenge for deeds done by the criminals. But Jesus in today’s Gospel
asserts that retaliation and revenge are not Christian. (Fr. James
Gilhooley).
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
15) Forgiveness of St. Maria & Assunta
Goretti: St. Maria Goretti, known affectionately to her family and
friends as Marietta, was born in Italy in the year 1890 into a poor family near
Nettuno, 20 miles outside of Rome. In response to Maria’s repeated refusals of
his indecent overtures, on that fateful day July 5, 1902, the frustrated
Alessandro was to stab Maria 14 times, causing her to suffer an agonizing
death. She succumbed the next day because of her wounds. She had repeatedly
warned Alessandro he was risking eternal damnation. As she lay dying, when the
parish priest of Nettuno brought her Holy Viaticum and asked whether she
forgave Alessandro, she replied, “Yes, I forgive him and want him to be in
Paradise with me some day.”
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
After 27 years of imprisonment, Alessandro was released. He
was spared 3 years of confinement due to being a model prisoner. After various
wanderings as a farm laborer, he was to spend the rest of his life living in a
Capuchin monastery at Macerata. There the good Capuchins called him “brother.”
In the chapel of the monastery Alessandro was able to attend
daily Mass and to find peace and solitude. He was to visit Assunta Goretti,
whom he had last seen 31 years before at his trial. He begged Assunta’s
forgiveness. She placed her hands on his head, caressed his face and gently
said, “Alessandro, Marietta forgave you, Christ has forgiven you, and why
should I not also forgive? I forgive you, of course, my son! Why have I not
seen you sooner? Your evil days are past, and to me, you are a long-suffering
son.” (DiDonato, p. 142). “The next morning people in the village of Corinaldo
witnessed what could only happen among the poor of Christ. Assunta Goretti,
with head held high and tears falling, took Alessandro Serenelli by the hand as
a mother takes a son, and led him to Mass. At the altar rail side by side, she
and he- he who had killed her daughter- raised their open mouths to partake of
the flesh and blood of Jesus.” (DiDonato, pages 142-146) From that time he was
welcomed in that profoundly Christian family of the Gorettis as “Uncle
Alessandro”. Alessandro would testify at length at the canonical process for
the beatification of Maria Goretti- the only witness who could detail what had
actually happened in a brutal murder. He died at the age of 89 after a long
life of prayer and penance in expiation of his crime, always invoking the
intercession of St. Maria Goretti as his “protector.” It was a remarkable scene
on June 24, 1950 at the canonization of St. Maria Goretti in the open Piazza of
St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. “Never before had a million souls come to St.
Peter’s Basilica all at one time, nor in Catholic history had there ever been
present at the ceremony of canonization the mother of the Saint.” (DiDonato) (
http://www.mariagoretti.org/likoudisarticle2.htm)
Fr.
Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
16) “That was for
me.” One day, Mother Teresa was asking a baker for some bread to feed
the hungry children in her orphanage. The baker was furious with her request
for free bread. Not only did he turn her down, he spat at her. In response to
his outrageous actions, Mother Teresa calmly reached deep into her pocket, took
out her handkerchief, wiped the spit off and said “
That was for me; now what about some bread for my poor children?”
The baker was touched by Mother Teresa’s love and greatness, complied and
thereafter provided bread for the children in the orphanage. (
http://baselearning.blogspot.com/2007/07/inspirational-lesson-learned-from.html)
Fr.
Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
17) Cardinal Van
Thuan Confuses His Guards with Christ’s love: Cardinal Francis Xavier
Van Thuan spent 14 years in prison in Communist Viet Nam. They arrested and
even tortured him, trying to get him to give up his Catholic Faith. But
instead, he chose to live his Faith passionately, even in prison, work camps,
and solitary confinement. Here is how he describes what happened. “In the
beginning, the guards did not talk to me. I was terribly sad. I wanted to be
kind and polite with them, but it was impossible. They avoided speaking with
me. One night a thought came to me: ‘Francis, you are still very rich. You have
the love of Christ in your heart; love them as Jesus has loved you.’ The next
day I started to love them even more, to love Jesus in them, smiling and
exchanging kind words with them. I began to tell them stories of my trips
abroad, of how people live in America, in Canada, in Japan, in the Philippines…
about economics, about freedom, about technology. This stimulated their
curiosity and they began asking me many questions. Little by little we became
friends. They wanted to learn foreign languages, French, English… And my guards
became my students!
[In the interest of time, you may want to include
only one of the following anecdotes.] Cardinal Van Thuan’s truly
Christ-like approach to his relationship with his atheist, Communist guards,
led to some remarkable experiences. The Cardinal describes how one guard agreed
to let him make a wooden cross for himself even though it was severely
forbidden to have any religious signs at all. When the guard at first objected,
the Cardinal answered, “I know, but we are friends, and I promise to keep it
hidden.” So, the guard walked away and let the Cardinal make his cross. In
another prison, Cardinal Van Thuan asked another guard, who had also become his
friend, for some electrical wire. Here is how the conversation went: The guard,
frightened, answered: “I learned at the Police Academy that when someone asks
for electrical wire it means they want to kill themselves!” “Catholic priests
don’t commit suicide.” “But what do you want to do with electrical wire?” “I
would like to make a chain to carry my cross.” “How can you make a chain with
electrical wire? It’s impossible.” “If you bring me two small pincers,
I’ll show you.” “It’s too dangerous!” “But we’re friends!” Three days later the
guard brought the wire and the pincers and together they made a chain for his
cross – the atheist Communist police officer helping the imprisoned bishop with
his vestments. That’s the
power of
Christ-like love, the love we are all called to live. (Taken from “
Testimony
of Hope”.] E- Priest
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
18) St. Pachomius
Gets Inspired: St. Pachomius [pah-COMB-ee-uhs] lived in the 300s, in
Egypt. He was a truly amazing saint, a real volcano of activity and
holiness. In gratitude for the grace of Baptism, he retreated into
the deserts of Egypt and apprenticed himself to a hermit in order to learn how
best to serve God. Together they lived alarmingly austere lives –
sleeping sitting up, never eating a full meal, frequently praying and working
all night long. This was their strategy for mastering their sinful tendencies
and putting their whole heart, mind, and strength into loving God. One day
Pachomius had a vision of an angel instructing him to build a monastery on the
banks of the Nile. He obeyed, and soon a trickle of followers filled
the few cells, followed by more and more men who felt called to give their lives
to penance and prayer. Soon he founded other monasteries, wrote a
series of guidelines for monastic life, and inspired countless other Christians
with his humility, patience, and miracles. By the time he died while
serving the sick in an epidemic, his nine monasteries housed over 3,000 monks,
and the monastic movement, which has ever since been filling the world with
holiness and wisdom, was under way. But the most interesting thing about
the spiritual life of St. Pachomius is its beginning. His remarkable career of holiness
began with a simple act of Christian charity. Before his Baptism,
Pachomius had been drafted into the imperial army. As he and the other
recruits were being transported down the Nile under horrific conditions, a
group of Egyptian Christians gave them food, fresh clothing, and other
necessities. Pachomius never forgot this, and as soon as his military service
was over, he went to the nearest Christian church in order to be
baptized. A few Christians going out of their way to share the light of
Christ with some pagan soldiers lit a fire of love in the heart of St.
Pachomius that is still warming this cold world today. Christ-like love is
about giving, not getting – that’s what will change this world. (Details
taken from taken from Catholic.net’s Daily Saints) (E- Priest).
Fr.
Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
19)
“Be Holy for
I your God am holy!” Lutz Long was one of the best German athletes and
a favorite of Adolf Hitler. During the long-jump trial, he broke several
Olympic records. The only other person who could beat him was Jesse Owens.
Hitler hated the black athlete and moved out of the pavilion when Jesse
recorded his trial. Jesse was upset with the treatment of Hitler. He fouled his
first trial and failed to qualify in the second trial. There was only one last
chance to redeem himself. At that moment Jesse felt a tap on his shoulder. It
was Lutz Long his competitor. He advised him to draw a line a few inches short
of the take off. Jesse followed the advice of his opponent. He succeeded and
qualified for the event. From that moment onwards a bond of friendship
developed between the two athletes. Later on, Jesse had to compete with
Lutz and won against his advisor. Jesse went on to win three gold medals.
Hitler looked at the black athlete with anger and contempt, but Lutz held his
hand and praised him for his achievement. Lutz, an ordinary athlete not only
followed the law but went beyond the law. He practiced the law of love against
his opponent. – All of us need a transformation! The world needs to change.
Only true charity and forgiveness can bring about this change. That was what
Jesus meant when he prayed, “Father forgive them for they do not know what they
do.” The specialty of Christian love is not mere forgiveness but love that
transforms enemies. (Elias Dias in
Divine Stories for Families;
quoted by Fr. Botelho
). Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
20) “What you
do to the least, you do to me!” Travelling during his term as Vice
President, Thomas Jefferson requested a room at Baltimore’s principal hotel.
The Vice President was travelling alone, without secretary or servant; it had
been a long day and it showed in his clothes and appearance. The proprietor,
not recognizing his distinguished guest, refused him a room. After Mr.
Jefferson left, the proprietor learned that he had just turned from his
establishment the Vice President of the United States. The horrified proprietor
immediately sent his servants to find Mr. Jefferson and offered him whatever
accommodation he wished. A servant found the Vice President at a small inn
where he had taken a room for the night. Mr. Jefferson sent the servant back to
the hotel’s proprietor with this message: “Tell your master I value his good
intentions highly, but if he has no room for a dirty farmer, he shall have none
for this Vice president.” – Jesus is in the least and shabbiest person,
especially if we consider that person our enemy. (Gerard Miller in
Stories
for all Seasons; quoted by Fr. Botelho).
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
21)
Loving ones
enemies actually works! For twenty-eight years, Nelson Mandela was
locked away in prison in South Africa. His children were kicked out of school
and prevented from getting jobs. It would have been easy for Nelson Mandela to
walk out of his prison cell, a seething cauldron of revenge. But Mandela tells
how after he was put in jail, he knew he had to make a decision. As he saw it,
he could either spend his time in jail hating all the people who put him there,
or he could choose something else. He chose instead to respect those he came
into contact with each day, and it made all the difference in the world. And
because of the suffering he endured and his ability to forgive his enemies,
Mandela gained a great deal of moral authority that enabled him to lead his
country peacefully out of apartheid when almost everyone had anticipated a
bloodbath. At his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of
South Africa, one of those prison guards was Mandela’s special guest. Mandela
found that loving one’s enemies actually works. (John Pichappilly in
The
Table of the Word; quoted by Fr. Botelho).
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
22) “Love
your enemies and pray for them.” In the film “
To Kill a
Mockingbird”, Gregory Peck plays the part of a white lawyer defending a
black man accused (wrongly, as it turns out) of rape. One day one of the white
townspeople comes up to Peck and spits in his face to express his disgust at a
white man defending a “nigger” who raped a white woman. Peck stands there
dignified and silent and slowly wipes the spit from his cheek. He says nothing;
he does nothing. But it is clear which of the two men has lost his dignity.
(And, of course, it turns out that it was a white man who raped the girl.) Fr.
Eugene Lobo S.J.
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
23)
You are
forgiven: The Caliph Hassan, successor to Mohammed, was one day at
table when a slave accidentally dropped a dish of meat severely burning the
Caliph. Frightened for his life, the slave fell on his knees before his Lord
and repeated these words of their spiritual book, “Paradise is for those who
control their anger.” “I am not angry with you,” replied the Caliph. “And for
those who forgive offences,” the slave went on. “I forgive you,” added the
Caliph. “But above all for those who return good for evil,” said the slave. To
this the Caliph declared, “I set you at liberty and give you ten gold coins.”
(J. Maurus in A Source Book of Inspiration
). Fr.
Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
24) Revenge beyond
limit: In the winter of 326 BC, Alexander personally led a campaign
against the clans of the Assakenoi of the Swat and Buner valleys. A fierce
contest ensued. The Assakenoi fought bravely and offered stubborn resistance to
Alexander in the strongholds of Massaga. The fort of Massaga could only be
reduced after several days of bloody fighting in which Alexander himself was
wounded seriously in the ankle. Alexander and his army took revenge for the
wound he suffered by slaughtering the entire population of the city. Not being
satisfied with that, they reduced its buildings to rubbles. Since the revenge
often surpassed the offense, ancient legal systems had formulas that were
applied to specific crimes, laws that prescribed punishments equal to the
offenses. A common expression was: “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” We
find another one of those formulas expressed in the Book of Genesis where in
Chapter 9 we read: If anyone sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be
shed… (Genesis 9:6). Jesus’ audience was familiar with that system of
retribution, and they accepted it as the best means of ensuring justice. So,
the words of Jesus, “I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you,” must have sounded strange in their ears. In contemporary
history, too, we find instances, where revenge was hundreds of times greater
than that of the offense. In 1940, during the Second World War, a British
bombing mission had struck Berlin – ostensibly by mistake. To take revenge on
this Hitler ordered London to be targeted. Thus, civilian bombing of London
began, causing the death of thousands, and spreading misery to many. The
history of the recent past is full of incidents of massacre, prompted by
individuals or nations. Hence, the words of Jesus, “love your enemies and pray
for those who persecute you” must sound strange in our ears, too. (Fr. Bobby
Jose).
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
25) What We Grab Also
Grabs Us: Once there was an eagle which hovered over a lake and
suddenly swooped down and caught a two-foot long fish in its talons. Slowly,
the bird rose with its ten-pound catch, but when it reached about 1,000 feet, it
began to descend, until it splashed into the water. Later, both the bird and
fish were found dead. Apparently, the fish was too heavy for the eagle, but it
could not let go, for its talons were embedded in the flesh of the fish. The
truth is that what we grab, grabs us. When we grab alcohol, drugs, or sex, it
grabs us and brings us down to death. (John Brokhoff,
Old Truths for
New Times, CSS Publishing Company, Inc.)
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
26) Going Beyond
Duty: The Second Mile: Shortly after the battles ended the American
Revolution, but before the peace had been negotiated, George Washington was
with his troops in Newburgh, New York. But they began to grow very restless
because they hadn’t been paid. Washington had begged the Continental Congress
to do what they said they would do and pay the soldiers, but they refused.
Well, some of the officers began to organize a rebellion. They talked about
marching on Philadelphia, which was at that time the seat of the reigning
national government and overthrowing that government and letting the army rule
the nation. With the fate of America in the balance, George Washington made a
surprise appearance before these officers. After praising them for their
service and thanking them for their sacrifice, he pulled from his pocket a copy
of a speech that he wished to read. But then he fumbled with a paper and
finally reached for a set of reading glasses-glasses those men had never seen
him wear before. Washington made this simple statement: “I have already grown
grey in the service of my country, and now I am going blind.” Historian Richard
Norton Smith wrote: “Instantly rebellion melted into tears. It was a
galvanizing moment, and the rebellion…” was put down because they had seen
before them a second-miler. Becoming a Christian is one thing; being a
Christian is another one. Every chance you get for the glory of Jesus, for the
goodness of others, and because of the grace of God, go the second mile. (James
Merritt, Collected Sermons,
www.Sermons.com)
Fr. Tony Kayala.
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
27) “I forgive you,” Immaculée
Ilibagiza was born in a small village in Rwanda, Africa. In 1994, when she was
home on spring break, the Hutu president of Rwanda was assassinated, and the
country was swept by reprisals against the Tutsi’s, her tribe (source
https://www.immaculee.com/pages/about and
her book, Left to Tell). Armed Hutu men went from house to house, slaughtering
every Tutsi they found. Immaculée fled to the local pastor’s house, and to
avoid being murdered, she had to hide in a 3 x 4-foot bathroom for 91 days with
seven other women. As she endured this, she also felt anger and resentment
destroying her and started praying the rosary: “I said the Lord’s Prayer
hundreds of times, hoping to forgive the killers who were murdering all around
me. It was no use-every time I got to the part asking God to ‘forgive those who
trespass against us,’ my mouth went dry. I couldn’t say the words because I
didn’t truly embrace the feeling behind them. My inability to forgive caused me
even greater pain than the anguish I felt in being separated from my family,
and it was worse than the physical torment of being constantly hunted.” When
she finally left that bathroom, she learned that all her family, with the
exception of one brother studying abroad, had been murdered. A million people
had been massacred. After the genocide, she was shown led to the man, now in
prison, who had murdered her mother and brother. He had been one of her
neighbors, and the prison staff was prepared to kill him on her behalf. When
she’d been in that bathroom, she had imagined killing the Hutus who had done so
much evil. Despite all she had suffered, she simply said, “I forgive you,” and
walked away. Through her prayer, she had triumphed over her anger and
resentment and found God.
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
28) “It was easy. I
just kept my eyes fixed on the lightening rod:” It was winter and it had
snowed heavily. A group of children were trying to see who could make the
straightest track across a snowy field. Only one of them succeeded in making a
path which was almost perfectly straight. When asked how he managed to do it,
he said,
“It was easy. I just
kept my eyes fixed on the lightening rod on top of the barn at the end of the
field – while the rest of you kept looking at your feet.” The First Reading of
today from the Book of Leviticus asserts that God alone is the source of all
holiness and in order to strive towards holiness, our eyes are always to
be fixed upon Him.
Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
29) “But trifles make
perfection, perfection is no trifle.” The great sculptor,
Michelangelo, was at work on one of his statues when a friend called on him and
said – “I can’t see any difference in the statue since I came here a week
ago. Have you not been doing any work all the week?” “Yes! I have been working
the whole week along, “said the sculptor – “See, I have retouched this
part, softened this feature, strengthened this muscle, and put more life into
that limb.” “But those are only trifles,” said the friend. “True,
“said Michelangelo, “but trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle.”
Today’s Gospel passage concludes with Jesus saying,
“Be perfect,
just as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
30) Brush-back pitch: In
baseball there is such a thing as a brush-back pitch. A pitcher throws a
90-mile-per-hour fastball at a batter, forcing him to back off the plate,
making him less willing to stand firm in the batter’s box and wait for the
right pitch. When a brush-back pitch is thrown, there is a clear expectation
that the opposing pitcher will throw another one in retaliation.
Fr.
Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
31) Imperial revenge: In
the winter of 326 BC, Alexander personally led a campaign against the clans of
the Assakenoi of the Swat and Buner valleys. A fierce contest ensued. The
Assakenoi fought bravely and offered stubborn resistance to Alexander in the
strongholds of Massaga. The fort of Massaga could only be reduced after several
days of bloody fighting in which Alexander himself was wounded seriously in the
ankle. Alexander and his army took revenge for the wound he suffered by
slaughtering the entire population of the city. Not being satisfied with that,
they reduced its buildings to rubbles. Since the revenge often surpassed the
offense, ancient legal systems had formulas that were applied to specific
crimes, laws that prescribed punishments equal to the offenses. A common expression
was: “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” We find another one of those
formulas expressed in the Book of Genesis where in Chapter 9 we read: If anyone
sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed… (Genesis 9:6). Jesus
reverses this concept with his teaching on the Sermon on the mount, I
say
to you: “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” “
Never
try to get revenge…if your enemy is hungry you should give him food, and if he
is thirsty, let him drink….resist evil and conquer it with good.” (Rom
12:19-21).
(Fr. Bobby Jose). Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
32) Poison tree: In
the poem, “Poison Tree” William Blake gives a moral lesson of great importance.
He compares anger and hatred to a poison tree.
I was angry with my friend: I told my wrath, my wrath did
end.
I was angry with my foe: I told it not, my wrath did grow.
And I watered it in fears, Night and morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with smiles, And with soft deceitful wiles.
And it grew both day and night, Till it bore an apple
bright.
And my foe beheld it shine. And he knew that it was mine,
And into my garden stole, When the night had veiled the
pole;
****
From Sermon Illustrations:
Mark Twain once said this about the Bible: "I have no problem with those parts of the Bible I don't understand. It's those parts of the Bible I do understand that gives me fits." The passage that we are going to study certainly fits into that category.
