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WHAT THE GOSPEL ASKS OF US
The Gospel asks us to be always vigilant. It is
so easy to be inconsistent. We want to love,
but we get caught up in our own interests.
We're afraid to take action against injustice. We
give up on friendships as soon as things get difficult.
We say hurtful words. Jesus knows our
limitations very well: he ate with sinners; he
went to Zacchaeus' house. He doesn't speak to
"perfect" people, but to each and every one of
us. We are called to make a difference in our
own lives and the lives of those around us every
day. Can we do it? How?
THREE POINTS OF REFERENCE
The choices Jesus
made throughout his
lifetime can help us
when we have difficult
decisions to
make in our own
lives. We must consider
three things:
freedom, conscience and responsibility. Without
these three points of reference, no law or moral
lifestyle can last.
FREEDOM
We are born with a lot of baggage: talents, limitations,
personality traits, physical appearance
and other characteristics. Our education marks
us, as does the milieu we grow up in. Despite
all of this, there is still room for us to become
the people we want to be. We have freedom of
choice' the decision is ours to make.
What about the laws in our society? Are they
just rules that take away our persona; freedom?
What about the Ten Commandments?
Imagine a society with no laws. Anarchy would
reign, followed by a slew of dangers, including
the exploitation of the weakest members. Laws
offer us freedom. They tell us how to act in order
to respect our mutual rights. God's commandments
are the same. In the desert, the
Jewish people learned how to keep a Covenant
with God and crate a society. Here is how one
of the brothers from Taize, community in
France, described freedom to a large gathering
of young people in the summer of 1999.
"God doesn't want to limit our freedom.
Instead, he wants to offer us a greater
space in which to move. So, when the
Ten Commandments say: 'You shall not
kill.' they also say: "You shall encourage
life; you shall give life more space in
which to grow.' We tend to see the Ten
Commandments as limiting. But the opposite
is true!"
("The Covenant", Encounters of Taize,
Summer 1999)
FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION
• How do you react to laws?
• How do reconcile your personal freedom
and society’s laws?
CONSCIENCE
"Open your eyes! Wake up!" we say to others
sometimes. These expressions make us think of
our conscience, that capacity we have to look inside
ourselves, to make judgments about what we
do, to make choices, to open ourselves up to reality
and to others. Our conscience keeps our eyes
open and our ears tuned to the world.
Our conscience works continuously because we
are constantly confronted with new situations.
Cloning, for example, was first a possible cure for
disease; now it raises questions about respecting
life. What should we think about issues like this?
It is important to keep informed (to read newspapers,
listen to experts, have discussions with
many different people) and to consider things in
the light of our fundamental choice - our faith in
God. In the Encyclical Letter Evangelium Vitae
[The Gospel of life], John Paul II talks about the
choices our conscience calls us to make.
In our present social context, marked by a
dramatic struggle between the "culture of
life" and the "culture of death", there is
need to develop a deep critical sense, capable
of discerning true values and authentic
needs. (John Paul II, Encyclical
Letter Evangelium Vitae, 1995, no. 95)
ACTION
• When you have to make a decision, what
methods do you use to see your choices
more clearly?
• Can you give an example of how your
faith in God allows you to make decisions
more clearly?
RESPONSIBILITY
Even as children we hear the word "responsibility"
over and over. Sometimes we get sick of hearing
it! Nonetheless, responsibility goes hand and
hand with independence, which is something we
all long for. Young adults have a great responsibility
towards themselves and others. You have
to develop your talents, invest in friendship and
loving relationships, express your needs, solve
problems that affect your happiness, respect human
rights, figure out where your life is going, be
true to yourself, stay in touch with God, share and
nurture your faith, and more.
Pope John Paul II reminds us of the responsibility
Jesus gave to his disciples:
In our service of love, we must be inspired
and distinguished by a specific attitude: we
must care for the other as a person for whom
God has made us responsible. As disciples of
Jesus, we are called to become neighbors to
everyone. (John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae,
1995, no. 87)
FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION
. What does "being a responsible person"
mean to you?
. Give an example of a time when you had
to be "responsible".
SIGNPOSTS
In life we are often faced
with situations that require
us to "discern," to
decide which action to
take in order to keep
thriving and building a
world filled with justice
and peace. It isn't always
easy! The Gospel
gives us tools or signposts
to help guide us on
our way. These signposts
are the different
aspects of Jesus' commandment
to love one
another.
"This is my commandment, that you love
one another as I have loved you. No one
has greater love than this, to lay down
one's life for one's friends." John 15:12-13
"Love your enemies and pray for those
who persecute you, so that you may be
children of your Father in heaven." Matthew
5:44-45
FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION
• Try to find signposts that can help you
find your way through life.
COMPASSION
Josephine Bakhita was born in Sudan. She was
kidnapped by slave traders and purchased by a
diplomat who brought her to Italy, where she was
entrusted to the Sisters of the Catechumenate in
Venice. She decided to become a member of the
Sisters of the Madeleine Institute of Canossa. She
worked with the poor, who nicknamed her "Black
Mother." She was beatified in 1992 and canonized
in 2000. She is the patron saint of Sudan.
FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION
• Who are some of the people you have
seen who excel in the gift of compassion?
• How has compassion (the capacity to suffer
with another) influenced your life?
• What is needed to bring compassion to
the forefront of our human endeavours
today?
SERVICE
For months, Martin has been living in a home for
people with AIDS. He is only 32 years old and his
life is nearly over. Many people have given up on
him for a lot of "good" reasons, but not Charles.
He continues to visit Martin, reading to him and
keeping him informed of current events. He does
errands for him, washes his clothes and makes
sure Martin is comfortable in his chair. Often he
just sits there quietly and lets Marin sleep. People
tell Charles to take care of himself; that he can't
do any more for Martin; that he shouldn't let himself
get sick.
Andrew, from Phu Yen became a martyr for his
faith. Born to a poor mother in the province of
Phu Yen, he went on to study with the Jesuits and
was baptized when he was 17 years old. He became
a catechist and evangelized with zeal, filled
with the love of God and wanting salvation for
everyone. In 1644, he was captured by soldiers
in the name of the king, who wanted to rid the
kingdom of Christianity. On July 26, 1644, he
was decapitated as he cried out, "Jesus!" An inspiration
to Vietnamese catechists, he was beatified
in Rome by John Paul II on March 5, 2000.
FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION
• Where am I called to serve others in my
life?
• Can I do this alone, or do I need to participate
with others?
THE GIFT OF SELF
John and Diane were joyfully awaiting the arrival
of their first child. But during the birth, the baby
didn't get quite enough oxygen. It was only a
matter of seconds, but Samuel's life changed forever.
He is a different child, with developmental
delays significant enough to keep him from fitting
in with other children. Just a few seconds, but
John and Diane will always have to fight for their
son to find a place for him in a society that is so
focused on achievement. Despite it all, or perhaps
because of it all, Samuel is a ray of sunshine
for his parents. They were not expecting that either.
Gianni Beretta Molla sacrificed her life so her
daughter could live. Born in Italy, she studied
medicine and surgery and went on to open a
medical clinic specializing in pediatrics. She referred
to her medical practice as her "mission"
and took special care of mothers and children, the
elderly and the poor. She was also involved in
Catholic action, working with the very young. In
1961, when she was two months pregnant, it was
discovered that she had a tumor. An operation
could save her but she would lose her baby. She
decided against the operation, thereby sacrificing
her own life. She was beatified in Rome on April
24, 1994, by John Paul II, who said that her sacrifice
was a "Hymn to life."
FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION
• How is the gift of self a signpost for you?
• St Paul of the Cross called his followers to
be self-emptying. There are various degrees
where one can be self-emptying. AT
your level, what might that look like?
FORGIVENESS
Two young university students, Michelle and Martin,
were working as research assistants on a
study about respecting the rights of others. They
received a small salary and were promised that
their names would be published in the study.
When the document appeared, only the professor's
name was there. They felt betrayed and angry.
They felt as if their work had been stolen
from them or discounted. Several months later,
the two research assistants met with the professor,
brought everything out into the open and
were able to forgive the injustice.
Francisco Castello i Aleu (Spain): Two hundred
and thirty-three martyrs - priests, religious, and
lay people - died for their faith in the religious
persecution surrounding the Spanish Civil War,
from 1936 to 1939. They all forgave their executioners.
One of these people was 22 year old
Francisco Castello i Aleu, a chemist and a member
of Catholic Action. In full awareness of the seriousness
of the situation, he did not run and hide,
but gave his youth as an offering of love for God
and his brother and sisters. Pope John Paul II beatified
these 233 martyrs on March 11, 2001.
FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION
. People say that it is liberating to forgive.
Where in your life do you need to give or
receive forgiveness?
from Joyce Hansen, Detroit USA
youthmin@passionist.org |
