The WORD in LENT: Second Week - Monday
March 6, 2023: Daniel 9: 4-10; Luke 6: 36-38
Being compassionate, not judging, not condemning, forgiving with mercy, giving without measure... in whom do we see all these? The Gospel says that right - be compassionate as your heavenly Father; never judge or condemn because God does not; forgive because you are forgiven; give because you have been given. The message is clear: be Godly, that is the way to peace!
Humanly speaking peace is not too easy - depending on the level that we are referring to, it gets proportionately complicated. Peace does not come naturally within a person; it does not happen automatically between two person, much less between groups and much more complicated with groups with differences and diversities. In all these contexts, that which offers the possibility of peace is the Divine!
Unfortunately these days, what is seen is just the contrary. The name of God is used to divide, polarise, oppress, violate and even to kill! But is this Godliness? Is this true spirit of knowing God, relating to God and experiencing God. One who has truly experienced God, cannot hate, cannot hurt, cannot divide, cannot disrespect, cannot oppress, cannot degrade, cannot calumniate, cannot hold grudge, cannot avenge! Because God is love, God is mercy, God is compassion and God is peace!
If only God were to treat us as we deserved, just imagine our predicament. That is what the responsorial psalm reminds us of. Prophet Daniel too reminds us of how undeserving we are of the compassion, forgiveness and the covenantal love of God. But inspite of these, the Lord has loved us and the Lord continues to love us. The call and the challenge is just one: that we become aware of the need to become more and more God-like: be compassionate as your Lord is compassionate! When we become more Godly, there will be peace all around us, for peace is Godliness.