“BLESSED ARE they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are they who observe his decrees, who seek him with all their heart.”
Christ is at the front and center model for forgiveness we concluded! Human nature alone is insufficient to forgive. Our reflection centred on FORGIVENESS as we went through our “Bawat Isa Mahalaga,” module.
I had to do more readings and listen to homilies asking Fr. Tony de Castro’s synopsis! Conversion must come from the heart. The psalm above struck me. Because it is inherent in us to follow God’s law. We need to live-out the law daily with a sincere and contrite heart. Our intentions must match our actions. Our genuine desire to seek God is needed with his grace to sustain us.
The Gospel teaches us the value of what Jesus preached. Laws are observed with humility. “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” The tendency of these Religious leaders whose attention was observing the law was their “pride”. In the homily and biblical explanations, the Religious leaders were “self-righteous”. Sila lang el bueno.! They looked down on others. That is why Jesus challenges us, if we want to follow God we must have humility in our hearts.
Bien dificil perdona. Ang hirap magpatawad! We saw the journey of Cherry Pie Picache who pardoned her mother’s killer. She prayed to God and agonized over the pain. One day, she was able to face the perpetrator in Jail who stabbed her mother multiple times. After her own conversion she was able to expressly forgive the killer.
This enabled the killer to thank her. He couldn’t ask for forgiveness because he thought he would never be forgiven. When the two were reconciled, the prisoner had freedom from the guilt of imprisonment. He was saying he couldn’t walk for a year thinking how he killed a woman who he knew. He didn’t mean-to stab her, but he was high on drugs and did not even remember his actions.
Cherry Pie, after forgiving, even brought him food. The legal system still prevailed for him to serve his sentence, but in their hearts forgiveness released both parties.
During my husband’s wake, I was faced with people who caused us hurt. But, by God’s grace, their presence, their prayers was God’s way of healing. Internally, the trials we went through, softened my heart to humility before God. I would’ve wanted to turn my back on the persons, but in front of my husband’s coffin, God gave me the grace to choose forgiveness.
Mahirap! But God almighty transforms our hurt, our anger, our pain. Why? Because Jesus himself is the model. He died for the sinful humanity! Sinless as he was, he preached about God’s kingdom, healed the sick and performed miracles. He was humiliated, tortured and died for the love of us. He loved us immensely and forgave us all and brought salvation.
I always tell myself, si yo ta sufri, if I am rejected, disliked and accused falsely, I know I am sinful! But, I look at Jesus hanging on the cross, there I bow down to Him! He was innocent yet he carried all our guilt, to suffer and save us. Perfect love and obedience to the Father! This is what gives me strength to persevere. By God’s grace we are saved. By God’s love and compassion we are called to show mercy. God almighty saves. (MBC)
No comments:
Post a Comment