Practicing Compassion

~~~ 1 Corinthians 8:1B-7, 11-13 ~~~ Psalm 139 ~~~ Luke 6:27-38 ~~~

There are some who have been so used to idolatry up until now
that, when they eat meat sacrificed to idols,
their conscience, which is weak, is defiled.

Today we remember those who lost there lives thirteen years ago
 in the World Trade center attack.
The individuals involved lost their way and chose
 to travel down the path of darkness.

They unplugged their conscience.
They gave up their desire to live in this world.
They lost all respect for life, their own and the life of others.
It truly was a sad day for the whole world.
God Bless all who came to the aid of so many people that day.

I pray that compassion will prevail in our hearts today.

Eventually you can desensitize yourself
if you do something enough times.
This is the danger in exposing yourself
to a continuous stream of violence.
You become so accustomed to watching violence
 being acted out you become numb to such crimes.

Thirteen years ago we could not leave our television sets...
we could not believe what our eyes were telling us.
We cried tears until our eyes were red and swollen.

The more we sin the less uncomfortable or guilty we feel.
If you miss Mass the first few times it feels wrong,
but if you miss Mass enough times it will no longer bother you.
Most people who are caught shop lifting admit
 that it was not their first offense.

If we let sin gradually take root in our soul
we will not even notice when it has taken control.
We must examine our conscience often
 just to make sure we are not becoming numb to the world
around us...just to make sure we are not letting
sin get the better part of our soul.

We are born with a pure heart.
We learn through trial and error as
 to how far we can push the envelope.
Young children are masters at seeing just how far they can go...
to see what they can get away with.
Usually the parents will intervene setting the limits. 

Now that we are adults we must set our own limits...
limits bounded by love and compassion.

~~9/11/ 2001~~
Love and Compassion rose above this horrible situation
 to prevail in the hearts of thousands.

May God Bless us with a conscience formed
by love and compassion.

God did bless many people on that
 terrible day in our country.

Peace be with you.

Haunting Decision

~~~ Jeremiah 26: 11-16, 24 ~~~ Psalm 69 ~~~ Matthew 14: 1-12 ~~~

Humans don't like to have the things they are doing wrong

brought to their attention.

Herod surely did not like John the Baptist telling him

 it was wrong for him to have relations with his sister in law.

Oops! Herod's hand was caught in the candy jar and he was reprimanded.

Herod was not a person of strong character...

he wanted to have John the Baptist killed but he feared the people.

The people considered John a prophet and valued what he said to them.

Later Herod's niece danced for him.  

In his aroused intoxicated state of pleasure,

he offered her whatever she wanted.

Prompted by her mother to ask for the head of John the Baptist;

Herod never batted an eye. John the Baptist was beheaded as a result

of a young woman's seductive dance.

Jesus must have been struck with great sadness

upon hearing of the death of John.

They were family; Mary had gone to visit soon after she consented

to be the mother of Jesus.

The two boys spent much time growing up together.

Herod has undoubtedly been haunted by this beheading.

So when he sees Jesus;

he thinks he must be seeing the 'ghost' of John the Baptist.

Herod's guilt is being realized in his believing that Jesus was somehow

John the Baptist.

Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus
and said to his servants, "This man is John the Baptist.
He has been raised from the dead;
that is why mighty powers are at work in him."

When you speak against the ruling authority you are taking a huge risk.

In those days freedom of speech was not a protected right.

In the first reading today Jeremiah is in a similar situation...

"This man deserves death;
he has prophesied against this city,
as you have heard with your own ears."

Jeremiah fervently proclaims that he is speaking the words

given to him from the Lord. The Lord sent him to warn the people

to reform their ways

before the Lord carries out his wrath upon them.

God extends his mercy to all of us,

but you must at least make an effort to change your ways. 

Today we are blessed with religious freedom.

Today we live in a country where freedom of speech is protected.

Human nature in all of its frailties has not changed after all of this time...

we continue to resist being told what we should not be doing.

As a society we are constantly bombarded with the temptations of

a 'young dancing girl'.

We live in a very material world where one is almost dared

to live a prayerful life.

Doing the right thing must come from within; not as a result of

what others may or may not think about you.

Herod did not have the character to act from his conscience.

Do You?