Our Parish
Our Mission & Patron
Parish History
Join our Parish
Bulletins
Latest News
Stories
Catholic Faith Resources
Calendar
Full Calendar Link
Blog
Giving
Contact Us
Stewardship
Newsletters
Event Form
Community Life
Fish Fry
Donut Sundays
Meet the Team
Pastoral Staff
Pastoral Council
Finance Council
Committees
Careers
Liturgy & Sacraments
Mass Times
Pray With Us
Funerals & Cemetery
Sacraments
Baptism
Eucharist
Reconciliation
Confirmation
Anointing of the Sick
Marriage
Holy Orders
Become Catholic
Faith Formation
Contact Faith Formation
Catholic Social Teaching
September 2022--Introduction to Catholic Social Teaching
October 2022-Life & Dignity of the Human Person
November 2022--Call to Family, Community & Participation
December 2022--Rights & Responsibilities
January 2023--Option for the Poor & Vulnerable
February 2023--The Dignity of Work & the Rights of Workers
March 2023--Solidarity
Adult Formation
Lent Resources
Lenten Resources & Media
2023
Alpha
The Bible & the Virgin Mary
Knights of Columbus
Men's Group
Restored: Stories of Encounter
Women's Group
Small Groups
RCIA: Adult Sacraments
Student Formation
Busy Bees & Parents @ the Playground
Registration Information
Family Class
Pre K- 1st Grade: CGS
Grades 2-5
Middle School
High School
Ministries
Get Involved
Help from Home
Outreach Ministry
Console the Sick
Feed the Hungry
Clothe the Naked
Comfort the Mourning
Strengthen Families
Sister Parishes
Liturgical Ministry
Music Ministry
Minister at Mass
Console the Sick
Ready the Church
Hospitality
|||
Mass Times
Join our Parish
Contact Us
Bulletins
Facebook
Instagram
Blog
News RSS
Search
Search
Our Parish
Our Mission & Patron
Parish History
Join our Parish
Bulletins
Latest News
Catholic Faith Resources
Calendar
Blog
Giving
Contact Us
Stewardship
Newsletters
Event Form
Community Life
Fish Fry
Donut Sundays
Meet the Team
Pastoral Staff
Pastoral Council
Finance Council
Committees
Careers
Liturgy & Sacraments
Mass Times
Pray With Us
Funerals & Cemetery
Sacraments
Baptism
Eucharist
Reconciliation
Confirmation
Anointing of the Sick
Marriage
Holy Orders
Become Catholic
Faith Formation
Contact Faith Formation
Catholic Social Teaching
Adult Formation
Lent Resources
2023
Alpha
The Bible & the Virgin Mary
Knights of Columbus
Men's Group
Restored: Stories of Encounter
Women's Group
Small Groups
RCIA: Adult Sacraments
Student Formation
Busy Bees & Parents @ the Playground
Registration Information
Family Class
Pre K- 1st Grade: CGS
Grades 2-5
Middle School
High School
Ministries
Get Involved
Outreach Ministry
Console the Sick
Feed the Hungry
Clothe the Naked
Comfort the Mourning
Strengthen Families
Sister Parishes
Liturgical Ministry
Music Ministry
Minister at Mass
Console the Sick
Ready the Church
Hospitality
February 20, 2022
Our Parish
February
17
,
2022
Sometimes, Jesus’ teachings don’t seem to make practical sense. When we hear things like love your enemies and do good to them, turn the other cheek when struck, give to anyone who asks, do to others as you would have them do to you, be merciful, stop judging, forgive, and give to others, we get a bit unsettled. After all, it’s okay for God to do all of these things, but does He really want us to do them, too? Many good-hearted Christians really draw the line with some of these ideals and say, “No way!” They even remark that if someone did something hurtful to someone they loved, they would have no reservations seeking severe retribution. There is still this persistent thinking, even among those who consider themselves Christian, that a violent action deserves a violent response. Somehow, we continue to justify this.
Yet, it is most clearly against the very grain of the Gospel. Part of our difficulty has more to do with understanding God’s love. We wrongly think that sinful or hurtful actions and evil people somehow are seen as lesser in God’s eyes. They are not. God loves the sinner as much as He does the saint. And, both of these inclinations exist in every human being, even those who consider themselves holy. Both the capacity for good and the disposition toward evil exist in every one of us. Viktor Frankl has this to say when reflecting on the Holocaust: “Our generation is a realistic generation because we have learned what a human being really is. When all is said and done, man is that same creature who invented the gas-chambers of Auschwitz; but he is also that being who walked upright into those chambers with the prayer ‘Shema Yisrael’ on his lips.”
If we believe in God, we have to act like God. Whether we like that idea is another issue. If we don’t then perhaps, we need to reconsider our faith and whether we really believe in Jesus Christ. We are made in the image of God, not the image of ourselves. The Christian must, at all costs, leave resentment and the need for retaliation behind, lose defensiveness and bring into the mind and heart the realization of who we represent in this world. ©LPi