Fr Anthony Keane OSB
Hearing the words of Jesus in today’s gospel, when struck on the right
cheek, turn the other, when forced to go one mile go two, when one’s
coat is demanded, give also ones cloak…some might wonder if the
cost of discipleship is not way to high. How can we let our enemies
strike us with impunity, take our possessions as they will and force us
to walk miles with them when we have better things to do. And this
is not all: we are to do all this with cheerfulness, happiness and love.
Not only must we avoid any grumbling, but we must go further still:
We are to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect.
Are we here being press ganged into giving service way beyond our
strength? Perhaps. More adequately it might be said that we are here
receiving a pressing invitation to share in God’s glory, to receive not
only His gifts, but also the very generosity that inspires them. We are
indeed being pressed to accept this life giving offer. And there is a
great gang, a cloud of witnesses and of holy helpers, persuading us to
accept. Taste and see that the Lord is good. A friend of mine,
wandering in Brazil, came upon a little village clearing where a
woman sat making cakes and little loaves for baking. Beside her sat a
little child with a stick in his hand who kept on beating the cakes into
the dust as they were made. In response to his outrage the woman
responded that she like making cakes and the child liked breaking
them. The bin of four in that village was not emptied; the cruise of oil
did not fail; the chickens were delighted with their cupcakes filled with
grit and the divinity and delight of the child was honoured.
For those who might turn back in alarm at the prospect of going along
with every fool who comes the way, of putting up no resistance to the
violent, or of making no effort to protect property or the ability to
function fruitfully on earth, it must be understood that these words
are true and inspirational. They are not burdensome. They are
liberating. They are to be taken literally and applied as the Spirit
commands. They are not to be slavishly or stupidly and mechanically
applied. So, as the poet said, when necessary, plunge into battle,
plunge into battle but with freedom in your heart. The readiness to
give and to keep on giving may be seen in the presence of God’s
abundant love and mercy, of which it may be said: It is twice blest: it
blesses him that gives and him that takes. We are like profligate
children of an infinitely wealthy father. We earn no money ourselves
but enjoy life by giving away to our friends our father’s treasures. He
is rich in mercy. Let us give unstintingly then not from the limited
store of our limited selves but from God’s infinite abundance.