Our Sunday Reflection

SELECT HERE for the Audio recording of the Readings of
Sunday, July 19th, 2020, Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

SELECT HERE for the Readings of Sunday, July 19th, 2020, Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Join Fr. Anthony as he reflects on his memories from his childhood days through his life's journey from Uganda to Lunenburg...READ HERE

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Sunday, July 19th, 2020, Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

 

Those who are just must be kind.
Wisdom 12: 19
 

Overcome evil by good (Retaliate not)

A few weeks after the murder of George Floyd, a parishioner ‘cornered’ me after Mass and we spoke for quite some time about the whole incident.  The country was right in the midst of protests, destruction and violence which were now spreading like wildfire, not only in the U.S., but around the world.  That parishioner could not stop questioning and repeating these words: ‘but why did he do that? (Meaning the cop), why did he have to kill him?  Why did he have to kneel on the guy’s neck?  Did he have to do that?  See what all this has caused?  The damage, the destruction, the commotion and all this for ‘settling a score’?
 
How are we to deal with people who anger us?  People who we do not like?  People who hate us?  People who use us or betray us; or hurt us by their words, remarks or attitude?  The order of the day tells us to ‘get back’, to revenge, to ‘attack’ or settle the score right there and immediately- An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth (which means retaliate).  This weekend’s readings propose a different way and this Christian way is, as you can imagine, is very demanding and unsettling too: ‘overcome evil by good’.  Retaliate not!.
 
The Jews in Alexandria (for whom the Book of Wisdom was intended) face constant ridicule and mockery from the Egyptians around them.  Where is this ‘Lord of Justice’ you believe in so much?  What kind of Justice does He stand for?  The Jews respond that Yahweh is Just, but also a God of leniency, kindness, and mercy.  In fact, God’s might is seen in his ability to control ‘might’.  He relents in showing anger.  The Jews must remember that the forces of good will always be victorious.   The Evil One cannot have his way, so overcome evil by good.
 
We, modern listeners of the Scriptures might be averse to the tone and language of Jesus, especially when he speaks of the ‘enemy’.  We tend to want to be polite and subtle in the way we speak of people.  We do not see eye to eye.  In Jesus’ time, the world was more ‘raw’.  In biblical societies, life was violent; family or tribal conflicts existed and were not hidden.  Enemies were real and they attacked.  So Jesus is blunt today.  Yet even more, he proposes a different approach in dealing with the ‘enemy’. In the parable of the weeds, when the wise farmer (God) is asked whether to ‘pull the weeds’ sworn by the known enemy, He replies, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them.  Let them grow together until harvest’ (Matthew 13: 29-30).  An immediate reaction might be to destroy both ‘good’ (wheat) and ‘bad’ (weeds) at the same time causing much more loss.  The wise farmer urges patience.   At harvest time, the wheat will be separated from the weeds.  At the end of time, God will be the last judge and good will always win.  Those who believe in patience and forgiveness will overcome.
 
What might listening to today’s readings trigger in you?  What thoughts?  Do you disagree with the Kingdom’s way? Are you ready to embrace this kind of Justice that leans towards leniency, kindness, mercy and healing?   What makes it so ‘demanding’? 
 
Jesus today invites us to the ‘long road’ of patience and forgiveness.  It is this that will restore Peace to our lives, relationships and society.  We must dare to overcome evil by good.

Fr. Anthony


View the below videos for other reflections on the readings.