Collect and Gospel Reflection for 7th Sunday Year C

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COLLECT AND GOSPEL REFLECTION

COLLECT FOR 7TH SUNDAY YEAR C

The Collect for 7^th Sunday of Year C reads as follows.

Grant we pray, almighty God,
that always pondering spiritual things,

We may carry out in both word and deed
that which is pleasing to You.

Though our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

who lives and reigns with You
 in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God for ever and ever.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 

In making this prayer tangible for during the week, the following reflection questions emerged:

 1. What spiritual things should I be always pondering?

2.  How can I improve my knowledge and love of the Catholic faith this week?

3.  What areas of the Catholic faith do I not understand or doubt? 

4.Explore these areas in the Compendium of the Catholic Church and/or Catechism of Catholic Church. Explore these areas in the Compendium of the Catholic Church and/or Catechism of Catholic Church.

5. What will I carry out in word this week that which is pleasing to You?

6. What will I carry out in deed this week that which is pleasing to You?

7.What are the hindrances/obstacles/areas I find in my life that prevent me from carrying out in word and deed that which is pleasing to You?

GOSPEL REFLECTION

 "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, life for life" was the practice amongst the Jews at the time of Christ and for centuries before (Ex. 21 :23-25).  However in the Gospel, Christ sets up the "golden rule" of fraternal charity. The golden rule being do unto others as you would like them to do unto you’’.  Christ takes this even further in the commandment to love.  Every person should truly love his/her neighbour for he/she is his brother/sister What is more, Christ's mission on earth has made him/her a son/daughter of God and an heir to heaven.

In today’s Gospel Christ extends this commandment -that we should love our enemies and do good to those who persecute us. Our chief interest in our neighbour must therefore be a spiritual interest. If he/she offends us, he/she offends God which is much more serious. Our charity should help him/her to seek God's forgiveness. That he/she should seek ours is of very minor importance in comparison with that.

Loving our enemies does not mean that Christ expects us to be a doormat and take personal abuse or collective abuse. No one has the right to extend their power/ control and suck the life out of us, trample on and tear to shreds our own self-esteem and abuse us physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially or in any other way. No, loving one’s enemies does not mean abuse. Let me repeat this ‘’Loving our enemies does not mean accepting any kind of physical, emotional, spiritual, financial or cognitive abuse.

It means we must do all in our power to rid our minds of any hatred of him/her, and try to see the good that is in him/her. Not judging and condemning comes under this heading. Human sinful beings that we are, our faculty for seeing in our neighbour the real person as he/she is before God, is very limited and very prone to error.

To love one’s enemy is tough especially when we are hurt by other people (often unjustly treated by not only the perpetrator but by others who have the authority to change the situation when it is brought to their attention and then they do nothing either.  This is often out of fear, out of weakness, lack of emotional maturity or just don’t want to rock the boat.

So, the person who has been hurt has to deal with not only the original hurt (which was bad enough) but what often hurts more is the lack of support for the cause of right by those who do know better but are unwilling to address it.

It is then the commandment to love one’s enemies seems almost impossible- it is impossible in human terms but with the grace of God and knowing that Heaven is on your side wanting to help you, it can be possible over time. We can look at our part in the situation honestly, ask God’s forgiveness for our part, ask for the grace to let go and forgive those who have hurt us. We may need to pray this many time before we even feel like wanting to forgive them.

Perhaps at times like this when we are hurting badly our prayer is

‘’ Jesus, I do want to forgive (name) because you ask this of me. I do not have enough energy, goodwill, desire right now to even want to forgive him/her.  I ask You to supply this grace of desire, goodwill, energy for me.  All I can say is I want to forgive ( name) because You ask it.

Remember forgiveness is a process but it starts with a desire- let that desire be for God.

JUST A THOUGHT

Lent is around the corner so if you are like me, then having some time to think about appropriate penance is required. I know if I leave it  to making up my mind the day before, then I am not likely to maintain my penance. So if you need time like me, then start thinking this week so you can be decided by Wednesday week- maybe today's Gospel might be a trigger.