Thursday 23rd week in ordinary time
"Lk 6:27-38"
"But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also...And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them...Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you...For the measure you give will be the measure you get back."
Many people are convinced that the "golden rule" is 'don't do to others what you wouldn't like to be done to you.' And so, if you don't like people poking a finger in your eye, you don't poke a finger in their eye; if you don't like people calling you names... you don't call them names; if you don't like people using your stuff without permission, you don't use their things without permission either... fair enough! But that is not the 'Golden Rule.'
Because Jesus didn't say, 'Don't do to them what you don't like to be done to you.' He said instead, "And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them." He didn't speak about things to avoid doing to others, but about things to do to others. And in order to live the Golden Rule we need to keep our eyes open to the needs of others. Then we will see what many don't see: that people need each other. St John Henry Newman described a gentleman as someone who "has his eyes on all his company," who pays attention to the needs of others and is always ready to help.
A mother was talking with a young priest about one of her children: "He doesn't need to be told to do anything. Whenever he sees something he can do he doesn't hesitate for a second to do it. He lets me rest." Apparently, when that child was around, his entire family was at ease. That could be good food for prayer, couldn't it? Am I the kind of child, brother, sister, student or friend who lets people rest? Do people like to be around me? Do I live the Golden Rule?
Mary, Mother of Fair Love, with your intercession, may I become the kind of person who makes people feel at ease, one of those I would love to have always around me.
