Thoughts on Today’s Scripture Readings
Wis 12:13,16-19 Ps 85 Rom 8:26-27 Mt 13:24-43
Psalm 85 really says it all this week: God is a loving God, a “God of mercy and compassion, slow to anger”, “good and forgiving, full of love to all who call.” Eventually “all the nations” – ie the Gentiles – will come to adore God.
The Book of Wisdom was probably written in Alexandria about 50 years before Christ, to encourage the faith of Jews living in a pagan Egypt. It wrestles with the age-old problem that evildoers are not punished in this world. Wisdom insists that God is just and merciful: he will reward the just after death, although this book does not say how. We can see that God moderates his own power with his justice from the way he gave the Canaanites time to repent during the exodus, and we should follow his example by showing mercy to those who hurt us.
The Gospel shows God’s mercy in action. Instead of venting punishment on sinners and immediately uprooting them, God patiently gives us time to repent. Even more, as Paul has been saying to the Romans, we may have confidence in the future life God has planned for us. God sends the Spirit to help us and to enable us to express our prayers more meaningfully.
Psalm Response: O Lord, you are good and forgiving.
FROM MY HEART TO YOUR HEART
Fr. Bernardino Andrade
THE POOR WANT TO BE POOR
It was a very dramatic mission. This story was written by Hampton Sides in his book «Ghost Soldiers» and told by Fr. Tony Kadavil in his weekly publication. It happened during the World War II. On January 28th, 1945, 121 hand – selected Army Rangers slipped behind enemy lines in the Philippines in an attempt to rescue 513 American and British POW’s who had spent three years in a hellish prison camp near the city of Cabanatuan. Hampton Sides describes the first effects of liberation as chaos and fear. The prisoners were too mentally brittle to understand what was taking place. Some even scurried away from their liberators. One particular prisoner, Berk Bank, refused to budge, even when a Ranger walked right up to him and tugged his arm, «C’mon, we’re here to save you», he said. «Run for the gate».Finally a smile formed on Bank’s lips as the meaning of the words became clear, and he reached up to the outstretched hand of the Ranger. The Rangers searched all the barracks for the additional prisoners, then shouted, «The Americans are leaving. Is there anybody here?» Hearing no answer, they left. The freed prisoners marched 25 miles and boarded their ship home. With each step, their stunned disbelief gave away to soaring optimism.
Did these people really want to continue that miserable life they had lived during three years in a miserable prison where there was no difference between garbage and human beings? This is what I have heard from many «experts» and «good people» who work with the poor. «The poor want to be poor. It´s their choice».
One day I arrived to a meeting where the group was discussing how to help this special person who had lived for 7 months in a miserable cave. The first thing I heard was, «We can not help those who don’t want to be helped». I am glad I arrived on time to say: «There is no one who need help more than the one who doesn’t want to be helped»
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