Nov. 10, 2014 Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 17:1-6. Jesus said to his disciples, Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the person through whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, I am sorry, you should forgive him. And the apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith. The Lord replied, If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to (this) mulberry tree, Be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it would obey you. Commentary of the day Isaac of Stella (?-c.1171), Cistercian monk Sermon 31 : PL 194,1792, SC 207 Forgiving seven times a day « Bear one another’s burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ »; « Bearing with one another in love » (Gal 6,2 ; Eph 4,2) : these are indeed Christ’s law. When I notice something in my brother that cannot be corrected due to some difficulty or physical or moral infirmity, why can’t I bear with him patiently, why not wholeheartedly comfort him according to the words of Scripture: “As nurslings you shall be carried in their arms and comforted on their lap”? (Is 66,12). Could it be that I am lacking in the charity that bears with everything, that upholds with patience and loves with indulgence? (cf 1Cor 13,7). Such, in any case, is the law of Christ. In his Passion he truly : “took our sufferings on himself” and in his mercy “endured our sorrows” (Is 53,4), loving those he carried and carrying those he loved. But he who, to the contrary, shows himself agressive to this brother in difficulty, who sets a snare for his weakness, whatever it might be, obviously submits to the devil’s law and does it. So be compassionate to one another and full of brotherly love; bear with weaknesses and cast out vices… And truly, any kind of life that allows us to give ourselves more genuinely to the love of God and, for his sake, to love of neighbour – whether in religious or secular life – is pleasing to God.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 01:39:37 +0000
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