Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church
There are times when I read the gospel and I think, “Is He serious? Does Jesus really believe that we can live this way! I think that seems impossible!” Today’s gospel reading is one which I find to be probably the most challenging call that Jesus gives to His disciples. Although what Jesus states seems mindboggling to me, He not only shows us how to do these difficult things but He promises to help us to do the same. It is only with the grace of God that we can live a life where we can let God use our emotions, possessions, time and our very life to bring forth the kingdom of God.
Today’s gospel reading is part of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus is describing to His disciples what life will be like in the Kingdom of God. Jesus instructs His disciples to turn the other cheek when someone strikes them, to give away both tunic AND cloak, and to go the extra mile. This is a mindset which most people cannot begin to fathom. Although these actions may seem unreasonable to many, Jesus illustrates in the most perfect way how this is to be done. Jesus surrenders His life (literally) by dying on the cross. He places His time, His possessions, and even His justifiable anger towards those who kill Him into the Hands of the Father. And because of His ability to give it all away, Jesus shows us how the Father uses Him to share the Father’s great love with the world. Jesus invites us to follow Him as we surrender to our lives to God. It is when we can detach from our possessions (which possess us in many ways) and can give up being in control that we can be transformed by the grace of God to bring new life, mercy and healing just as Jesus does.
Jesus calls us to go beyond ourselves for the benefit of all. Surrendering our emotions (hatred, revenge) can be difficult but by placing them into the Hands of God, they can be transformed through grace into mercy and forgiveness. Over and over throughout Jesus’ life He shows how mercy is more powerful and more healing than anger and retribution. If each of us could in some small way allow our anger to become mercy within our daily lives, I wonder how different our world would be. Just like a small stone in the water, the small daily acts of giving our emotions to God would create ripples that would go out and be the impetus for great change for all people.
Being detached from our things and our time is also a challenging mindset. How can a person be so free that they do not worry about giving anything/everything away? How can someone not worry about where and how one spends his or her time? Does Jesus truly call us to give it all away? Living these commands I believe starts with prayer and meditation where you place all you are and have into the Hands of God. If you truly trust Him and His love, then you can allow Him to guide you. This is an active choice that you must make over and over again (many times in the day) when you stop and say’ “God- I give this situation to you- please guide my thoughts, words, and actions.” I think that a person needs to practice this prayer often and with time the letting go becomes a little less difficult. This openness to God’s grace (His Spirit) allows you to be available (both your resources and your time) to all that God wants to do with your life. With God’s help things that you thought would be impossible become reality.
Today we celebrate the feast day of St. Anthony of Padua who was a Franciscan priest known for his evangelization. St. Anthony once said, “Christ acts like a loving mother. To induce us to follow Him, he gives us Himself as an example and promises us a reward in His kingdom.” Jesus knows that we cannot do the impossible on our own. To live a life of love, humility, and mercy requires the action of God’s grace in our lives. Jesus shows us how to surrender all. When we can give ourselves completely into God’s Hands, then He can use us to bring His love and mercy to others as we help build His Kingdom here on earth.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for Jesus and His example that shows us how to surrender all to You and Your love. Through the grace of Your Spirit, transform us so we can live freely giving of ourselves to the world. May our lives bring You glory and praise as we follow your Son. We pray this through Christ our LORD. Amen
Marylynn Herchline