Difference

“But some of the Pharisees said, ‘Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath?’” (Luke 6:1-5).

Christ delivering the Keys to Saint Peter (Matteis)

Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta was the sort of soul who it is very easy to admire.

She was a woman who took her vocation to serve the poor very very seriously.  And she did this with everyone.  Once, when she was on her way to meet with Pope Saint John Paul II, she asked her driver to stop the car so that she could tend to a poor man sitting by the side of the road.  When her driver began to worry because they were going to be late and asked her to now get back in the car so that she could continue on her journey, the Saint responded that the Holy Father would understand, because she had stopped to take care of Christ on the way to the meeting.  And with that she continued in her work and real vocation – right there on the side of the road.

She was a woman who commanded international attention – winning the Nobel Peace Prize – and yet, she woke up each day and prayed with the sisters and went out onto the streets and into the hospital and cared for the poor.

Once, when she was working in a leper colony, she noticed that in the largely Muslim community there was no Mosque.  She called the religious and civic leaders together and told them, my patients are Muslim, and they need to pray.  Build them a mosque so that they can pray.

In this way, the Saint brought God’s love to everyone.  It is not that she worshipped false Gods, but rather that she loved her neighbour as herself and treated her enemies as friends.  It is that she celebrated differences as a way of celebrating the dignity of human life…

Christ did the same…

“On a sabbath, while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. But some of the Pharisees said, ‘Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath?’” (Luke 6:1-5).

Christ did not call us to follow the letter of the law.  We are not judges and lawyers in God’s name – He has no need to judges on Earth – He who is the Infinite Just Judge…

Instead, Christ calls us to follow the meaning of His law.  There is no point in tending to the sick if we force them to abandon their free will and human dignity.

We are called to be a witness to Christ in the world.  And that witness is not unkind or judgemental.  While Christ did not condone the sin, He never removed the dignity of the sinner.  He healed and cleansed and spoke to everyone.  And His views were clear, but He would not force anyone to change.

There was so much human dignity in what Christ allows us.  He did not force the rich young man to give everything away.  He just told Him what was required in answer to his question.  And then He left the rich young man to do as he pleased.

And that is God.  That is my God.  A God who gives me my dignity – no matter what!

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.