Gospel
Matthew 5:38-42
38 You have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. 39 But I say to you not to resist evil: but if one strike thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other: 40 And if a man will contend with thee in judgment, and take away thy coat, let go thy cloak also unto him.
41 And whosoever will force thee one mile, go with him other two, 42 Give to him that asketh of thee and from him that would borrow of thee turn not away.
This is certainly one of the hardest teachings of Jesus. It is certainly harder for me than to believe in the Eucharist. Nothing so offends human nature than to willingly suffer abuse from another. It is often even harder when the person hurting us is a relative or a friend. Pair this with our Lord’s teaching of forgiving one’s brother an infinite number of times and we have the humanly impossible! But, with God all things are possible.
Just as Jesus offered no resistance to those who abused, tortured and killed Him, the history of the Catholic Church is full of martyrs who willingly did the same in imitation of Him. In fact, that is the surest and fastest way to attain sainthood, simply because it is the hardest. It is very important to point out though that martyrdom must not be something we seek, nor a matter of cowardice. It is a serious sin to knowingly place oneself in an unnecessary position of harm. God wants us to care for our lives and our bodies as they are His creation. Courage is a virtue and we have the duty to protect ourselves and others.
Saint Maximilian Kolbe is a very good example of one who faced martyrdom as Christ intended. He willingly offered himself up to be executed in place of a fellow prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp. The prisoner had a family, and the priest decided that the value of the other man’s life to his family was worth more than his own. Others have faced danger and death in the process of evangelizing pagan cultures. The priest, monk or nun has already given his or her life to God and they no longer have a claim upon it. Neither are they bound by duty to spouse or children. The soldier has agreed (or sometimes been conscripted into) a contract to fight for his country, and the police officer willingly risks his life to protect others.
While it is very true, as the example of Jesus shows us, that the greatest act of love one can make is to willingly sacrifice his life for another, we must also be responsible stewards of all that God has blessed us with. The Catholic Church once boldly proclaimed that reckless acts were mortal sins, comparable to suicide or even murder. While it is still true that participating in dueling, for instance, carries the penalty of excommunication, when was the last time you heard a priest speak out about fast driving or sky diving, drug abuse or running with the bulls, etc? We need priests who will act as spiritual fathers, especially when people may prefer not to listen.
A Daily Catholic Devotional, Reflections on the Daily Mass Readings July-December, 2024. may be purchased as a .pdf directly from me using this link https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-daily-catholic-devotional-reflections.html or in paperback on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3ZTXQB4
I am also giving the .pdf as a free Thank You gift to anyone who becomes a paid subscriber to The Uncensored Catholic newsletter.
Gospel passages are taken from the Douay Rheims Bible.
Engaging in reckless activities (including dangerous sports) as the downward slope to possible excommunication is something that deserves more thought and attention. The nuns at St. Charles elementary school never brought this up!