Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A
Reflecting on Matthew 5: 38-48
As the Olympics come to an end this weekend I find myself wondering: What if there were an Olympics that awarded medals for individuals or nations that best perform three events put before us in today’s readings?
- Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against any of your people (Leviticus 19:17).
Are you STILL nursing that grudge against your sister after all this time? Get over yourself. Review the past and see things from her perspective for once. Disarm yourself. Call her. The family member who takes that advice to heart wins the gold medal, and gets the biggest chocolate bunny this Easter.
- Give to the one who asks of you (Matthew 5:42).
On the website that accompanies this column there was an exchange last week that brought this controversial Olympic event into focus. Due to a childhood in poverty, Becky’s basic reading and writing skills are poor. During the past few weeks she expressed on the site a number of beautiful theological insights drawn from her lifetime of suffering.
An English teacher might be tempted to take a red pen to the errors in spelling and sentence structure. Instead, Cris, a highly educated reader a thousand miles away, chose to read past the grammatical struggles and responded to her heart, the heart she was asking to be cherished. It’s a tie. They share the gold medal, Becky for having the courage to ask to be heard, and Cris for truly hearing.
- Forget not all God’s benefits (Ps. 103:2).
When you drew open the blinds this morning did you instinctively thank God for sunlight? Step up to the dais. The gold is yours.
In what virtues are you training for Olympic gold?
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