Beyond Boundaries

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors[a] do the same? 47 And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same?[b] 48 So be perfect,[c] just as your heavenly Father is perfect.-Matthew5:43-48

We, humans, love only those we want to love. And when we hate, well, we sure would like to make it known one way or another, directly or indirectly. Jesus pushed the boundaries of love. Actually, Jesus has put a brand new name to love. It is easy to say love your enemies, but it is difficult to do especially if the hurt, pain and anger run deep. But all is possible in the name of love and in the name of God. Remember, Jesus still prayed for those who sent Him on the cross. Jesus forgave Peter and His other disciples for leaving Him. Jesus loved those who are unlovable. He did it when He was very much human. We can do it too through His grace.

Image courtesy: The Passion of the Christ

Long before it happened

Jesus knows.

16 Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger[a] greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it. 18 I am not speaking of all of you. I know those whom I have chosen. But so that the scripture might be fulfilled, ‘The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.’ 19 From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. 20 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”-John13:16-20

Jesus said, "I know those whom I have chosen." Despite Peter's denial of Jesus, His Majesty still chose him as His disciple. Despite the other disciples' abandonment of Jesus, His Majesty still chose them as His disciples. And despite Judas' betrayal, the truth is, Jesus still chose him as His disciple. If I were to see my future, and if I found out that this or that person will betray me later on, as early as now I am going to distance myself or avoid that person. But Jesus never sent Judas away because He knew that every body can change. Jesus said, "From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM." Jesus is preparing His disciples of what's going to happen. Perhaps this is also Jesus' way of saying to them all not to lose heart, not to despair, to be strong and to believe that He has forgiven them all long before the Passion and Crucifixion happened. Long before our miseries came to be, Jesus has a ready solution at hand. All we have to do is accept the outstretched hand He is offering to us.

Image courtesy: artist

The Pilates of the World

It is done.

... [s]Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged. 2 And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head, and clothed him in a purple cloak, 3 and they came to him and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck him repeatedly. 4 Once more Pilate went out and said to them, “Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak. And he said to them, “Behold, the man!” 6 When the chief priests and the guards saw him they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him. I find no guilt in him.” 7 [t]The Jews answered, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.” 8 Now when Pilate heard this statement, he became even more afraid, 9 and went back into the praetorium and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” Jesus did not answer him. 10 So Pilate said to him, “Do you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered [him], “You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above. For this reason the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.” 12 Consequently, Pilate tried to release him; but the Jews cried out, “If you release him, you are not a Friend of Caesar.[u] Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.”
13 When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus out and seated him[v] on the judge’s bench in the place called Stone Pavement, in Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 It was preparation day for Passover, and it was about noon.[w] And he said to the Jews, “Behold, your king!” 15 They cried out, “Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your king?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” 16 Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.[x] ...
23 [aa]When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four shares, a share for each soldier. They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down. 24 So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be,” in order that the passage of scripture might be fulfilled [that says]:
“They divided my garments among them,
and for my vesture they cast lots.”
... 28 After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled,[ad] Jesus said, “I thirst.” 29 There was a vessel filled with common wine.[ae] So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. 30 [af]When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.
... 40 They took the body of Jesus and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom. 41 Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried. 42 So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day; for the tomb was close by.-John18-19:42

As I read and listened to the Passion of Jesus, I was struck also by the person of Pontius Pilate. A powerful man, yet he did not exercise his real authority, feared his subjects (though he can pulverize Jerusalem easily at that time), and would rather send an innocent man to a shameful death when pressured. I cannot help but remember the many Pilates in our world. Men and women who would rather put the blame to others; made faulty decisions when pressured; would not stand to what is right and true if confronted by so many. Jesus, in His great love for us, also died for the Pilates of our world. Perhaps we are like Pilate too at certain points in our life. But Jesus is here and has saved us. Jesus died and rose again so that we can share everlasting life with Him as well, so that there is always hope for us, so that we will 'resurrect' daily with Him as we continue our earthly existence, and so that we are perpetually washed clean of our sins.

Image courtesy: The Passion of the Christ 

An endless river of mercy, forgiveness and compassion

God's endless mercy!

[53 Then each went to his own house, 1 while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.[b] 2 But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. 4 They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5 Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.[c] So what do you say?” 6 They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.[d] 7 [e]But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. 10 Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more.”]-John8:1-11

One of my favorite acts of mercy of Jesus. The woman was caught in the very act of adultery, no doubt about that. (What about the man involved? Isn't it true that it takes '2 to tango?') The woman was not given a chance to defend herself and was given immediately a death sentence, no doubt about that. But Jesus never said, "It's your fault" or "You brought it upon yourself" or "You're not careful, that's why." Jesus never judged, never condemned even if the woman was more than guilty of adultery. He showed mercy, forgiveness and compassion. Rather than condemning like the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus gave new hope, healing and a brand new beginning to the woman. Jesus believed that there is something good in the woman and is capable of great change for herself.

Jesus, too, believes that we are capable of good and great changes for ourselves. He is here to support us, believe in us and be with us, even if there's no one around.

Image courtesy: The Passion of the Christ

End your story right

Mercy and forgiveness should be a limitless act.

21 Then Peter approaching asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 [a]Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. 23 That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. 24 [b]When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. 25 Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. 26 [c]At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ 27 Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. 28 When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount.[d] He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ 29 Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30 But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt. 31 Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. 32 His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. 33 Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ 34 Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt.[e] 35 [f]So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.”-Matthew18:21-35

Jesus' parable said it right. How absurd, isn't it, that when we have wronged others and ask for their forgiveness, we expect to be forgiven - right away if possible. When we have wronged God by committing a sin, we want to be forgiven. However, if there is a reversal of roles, and we are the ones wronged and being asked that we forgive others, we find it very difficult. Sometimes, we do not forgive at all.

Last year I watched a TV series about a wronged wife. Husband enters an affair. Wife finds out about it. Wife wants a temporary separation. Husband does not want the separation, begs for another chance and is willing to end his affair with his mistress. Now wife's dilemma is, should she forgive her husband and give him another chance, or should she push through with the separation (or divorce to some)? So many women said, "Give him another chance" while others said, "Let him go. There are better men out there anyway." I want to say to those women in the last category, "Mercy and forgiveness should be a limitless act. If God can forgive and give many chances again and again, we too can forgive and give many chances again and again. If God can forgive somebody with sincere and humble heart, who are we not to forgive somebody who asks for our forgiveness with a sincere and humble heart?" Once, I begged for mercy, forgiveness and another chance. But they did not give it to me. So now I know how it is like to beg and not be forgiven. Let us then be generous if we want others to be generous to us as well.

Image courtesy: artist 

Love is the path to Peace

Love is the path to Peace.

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors[a] do the same? 47 And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same?[b] 48 So be perfect,[c] just as your heavenly Father is perfect.-Matthew5:43-48

One day, I suddenly felt justified or a little pleased when I imagined that something bad happened to the one who caused me much pain and sorrow. Then I realized that what I imagined or the emotion that I felt was so un-Christ-like. I did the unthinkable. I sent a well-intentioned New Year's greeting to that somebody. Some say it is difficult to love one's enemy. But Jesus says it is possible to love one's enemy. Instead of condemning those who sent Him to the cross, Jesus prayed all the more for forgiveness. One leader said, "There is no path to Peace. Peace is the path." But I say, "There is a path to Peace. Love is the true path to Peace." Somebody must always take the first move towards reconciliation. Somebody must always take the first move to love and let go of anger. God made this move already. We can make this first move also.

Image courtesy: artist 

Anger: A Root Cause

Anger is the root cause of all.

20 I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
21 “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’[b] 22 [c]But I say to you, whoever is angry[d] with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. 23 Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, 24 leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.-Matthew5:20-26

Souls are purified and cleansed in purgatory before they are admitted in Heaven. Some people are 'rehabilitated' in prisons, asylums or medical facilities 'until they have paid the last penny' that is, until they have paid the consequences of their actions. But, as I reflected, it seems Jesus is somewhat saying we need not go into that by: 1) Agreeing to settle with an opponent, 2) Forgiving and/or asking for forgiveness, 3) Remaining silent in tense situations - that is, to refrain from cursing, condemning or uttering painful words, 4) Meekness and, 5) Freeing oneself from the root cause of it all - ANGER. Anger and jealousy drove Cain to kill Abel. Jacob fled to Laban out of fear of Esau's anger. Anger drove so many to commit murder, to 'kill' somebody by destroying their credibility as persons, to 'kill' somebody by condemning them or judging them, and so forth. As Lent continues, Jesus is inviting us to free ourselves from Anger, and to grow more in Love and Forgiveness.

Image courtesy: Bartolomeo Manfredi (Cain kills Abel) 

Power of Speech

The power of speech!

21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.-Mark1:21-28

Jesus taught with authority. He was a great speaker and teacher, thus, every body was always amazed and astonished at Him for He was not like the rest. How did He speak that made Him so effective? Jesus speaks of Words that build, and does not destroy. Jesus speaks of Words that uplift, and does not put down others. Jesus speaks of Words that heal, and does not pain. Jesus speaks of love, mercy, compassion and forgiveness, and not hatred, war, stubbornness of heart, revenge and the like. It is true that Jesus used strong words - like hypocrites - to address the Pharisees, scribes, teachers of the Law, and so many others. But, it was given to the rightful recipient of it. It was not meant to demean but to build. What about us? In this age of freedom of expression and speech, are we using it well - to build, heal, uplift, love, be merciful, be compassionate and be forgiving to others? Or are we using it to demean, destroy, put down or pain others even if they are not doing anything wrong? Are we hasty in giving a rude and nasty comment even if the person does no wrong to us? If we need to make a point, must we always resort to rudeness? Let us all bear in mind that the power of speech must be regulated or toned down one way or another. For if not, chaos is inevitable. Should we provoke or be bold with our words, we can still opt to tone it down or minimize the damage. If we fail to put a boundary or parameters on our freedom to express, all of us will go in a downward traverse where freedom of expression can be shown also through inhuman ways. Lastly, before we do something, all writers, artists and publishers must also bear in mind the impact of their words on its intended audience as well as those who might possibly be offended by it.

Image courtesy: artist

Wrapped into One

Many people come to Jesus.

7 [a]Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large number of people [followed] from Galilee and from Judea. 8 Hearing what he was doing, a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. 9 He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him. 10 He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. 11 [b]And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, “You are the Son of God.” 12 He warned them sternly not to make him known.-Mark3:7-12

As I reflected on the Gospel reading, I wondered how it was during the time of Jesus when there was no crowd controllers, no security forces, everybody is desirous of touching Jesus on His clothes, hands, anywhere. What's with Jesus? It is mercy, compassion, forgiveness and love wrapped in His person. Jesus is inviting and encouraging us all to be agents of mercy, compassion, forgiveness and love to others as well. When was the last time we have shown mercy? compassion? forgiveness? love to others?

Image courtesy: Catholicmannight

A Gushing Fountain

A mustard seed is so small - as big as this "o"

17 Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. 2 It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 So watch yourselves.

“If your brother or sister[a] sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. 4 Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”

5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

6 He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.Luke17:1-6

Jesus is warning us all that things that cause us to sin and stumble are bound to come. The thing is, sometimes it would come without any preamble at all. Sometimes our dearest friend would cause us to sin. Perhaps, a little flower will cause us to sin. Even intangible things like loyalty can cause us to sin. Not only that, because we inherited Original Sin from Adam and Eve, we are also sin carriers. In other words, we can also influence or cause others to sin and stumble. Woe to each and every one who causes others to sin. Woe to me as well if I cause others to sin and stumble.

It is easy to be scandalized by others' sin. But to be scandalized, to evade or to stay away from people who sinned is not the answer or the antidote for it. To scare them about the price of sinfulness is not the remedy as well. Jesus is teaching us to be forgiving of those who sinned. If we know a person sinned, then we rebuke or point it out to them. If they ask forgiveness or repent, then we should forgive them, accept them and erase their sins so that "standing up" is an easy thing to do.

Some people would like others to stumble to tragedy for them to realize their faults. Others just watch their neighbor stumble to sin. Others don't correct their neighbor because "adults should not be treated like children who needed constant correction." But I say "No." Sin knows no age (except infancy to early childhood), race, status, religion, class, etc. We should always try and try reaching out to others and prevent them from committing sin. If they continue sinning, then we continue correcting. Our forgiveness and fraternal correction should not be limited. If Christ is a fountain of forgiveness that never stops gushing, we should strive to be one, too.

Image courtesy: various artists