Fr. Bob's Reflection for the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time – February 19, 2023 Eye for an Eye The saying from our gospel that we all know so well, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, is a command that has often been used to justify our brutality. In fact, that statute which was well known in the ancient world was used to reduce brutality. In a time when there was little or no police presence, protection came from membership in a tribe or family. If one member of a tribe or family was attacked, the other members would respond. A problem the ancient societies faced was to control the retaliation so that it did not escalate out of sight. This statute was saying that retaliation must be proportionate to the offense. That there must be a rough equality between the two. The statute was aimed not at excusing brutality, but at controlling vendetta. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth was a step forward in the civilization of humankind. But Jesus sees something better, he knows that God is not vengeful, that God is not a tit for tat Judge. And if we are to be like Him, nothing of vengefulness must be found in us. His commandment is clear, aggression and violence are not to be returned. They are to be absorbed. His advice must appear to many as absurd, he talks of turning the other cheek. Offering the thief your coat when he has stolen your shirt. It all sounds rather farfetched, but the heart of the teaching is…. that violence in the long run does not solve anything and only makes the problem worse. It grows like a cancer; it becomes a poisoned well. This vicious circle continues until someone with enough sense tries a different approach like forgiveness. In Simon Wiesenthal’s-Biography-Sunflower, he writes that over eighty members of his family had died in a Nazi concentration camp. He saw his own mother machine-gunned right in front of him. Simon tells the story that one day a nurse came out to where he was working and tapped him on the shoulder. She told him to follow her and was taken to a hospital room where a member of the dreaded SS Troop lay dying. The soldier told Simon how he had been in charge of a unit dealing with Jews-this meant just one thing-herding them into a building, douse the building with gasoline and set it on fire, and then machine-gun anyone who tried to escape. The young trooper had been a catholic before he became a Nazi and was feeling guilty over all he had done. He had requested that a Jew be sent to him. He begged Simon on behalf of his people for forgiveness. He said he was not born a murderer and he did not want to die one. Simon Wiesenthal said the only response he could give was to get up and leave the room, without saying a word, without granting forgiveness. For the rest of his life, he was troubled by his non-response. What would you have done? That is a question that we could talk about all day. So, I would like to ask you another question. Have you ever been in the place of the Nazi officer (not necessarily a murderer)? Are there any Simon Wiesenthal’s in your life who cannot and will not forgive you? Perhaps people you may have hurt so bad that they want nothing to do with you ever again? More than likely, they are those that are the closest to you. We usually carry that guilt for a long time and often turn into ourselves, and we cannot move forward with life. If you are Christian, it is then when we must turn to Jesus Christ. He steps into the shoes of those who cannot forgive. He comes to us broken as we are and says, all is forgiven, and He loves us. When people will not forgive, Jesus will. When people cannot forgive, Jesus will. When people are unable to forgive, Jesus will. Look at the gospel of the prodigal son, when the son repented the father went to meet him. Embraced him and welcomed him back to the family. And so, we have two questions. If you are Simon Wiesenthal, the gospel challenges you with the imperative and the demand to forgive, forgive your enemies. If you are the young nazi, and you desperately want forgiveness and the people in your life cannot or will not or are unable to forgive, then turn to the gospel and find that Jesus will stand in their place. This is also, I suggest, why He invented the Sacrament of Penance. It is the place that Jesus has set up where we are reconciled to the Father. It is the one place where we can be reassured that in our broken and dying moments the Lord will come and say, “Go in peace, your sins are forgiven.” I suppose in the end it comes down to how seriously we take the prayers we say every day. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Scripture tells us, when you come to the altar if you have anything against your brother or sister. Leave your gift at the altar, and first go and be reconciled with your brother or sister. Have you ever done that? Do you need to? Fr. Bob Warren, SA Yours in Christ, Father Bob Warren, S.A. Signature Fr. Bob Warren, SA