InPreparationforLentAD2018—III
Friends,
Wherethenewcommandmentis,thereisGospelNonviolence.
Wherethenewcommandmentisnot,thereGospelNonviolenceisnot.
Hence,thedailyprayer,indeedtheceaselessprayer,ofthoseperson’sorcommunitieswhodesiretolivealifeaccordingtotheWay of Nonviolent LoveofallinallcircumstancesastaughtbywordanddeedbyJesusintheGospels,thatis,thosewhodesiretoliveinaccordancewiththenewcommandment,shouldbe,
“Jesus,givemethepowertolovepeopleasyoulovepeople.”
Perhaps,ifaChristianwantedtosincerelytrytolivealifeofNonviolent LoveinimitationofJesus,heorshemightcommitduringthesefortydaysofLenttosayingthislittleprayerascontinuouslyaspossible,aswellas,tosayingitwhentemptedtothink,sayordosomethingcontrarytolovingasaJesusloves.
HereareafewthoughtsfromThe Power and The Wisdom(Imprimatur,1966)bythelateCatholicBiblicalscholar,Rev.JohnL.McKenzie,andfromtheCatechism of the Catholic ChurchthatmaybehelpfulindiscerningwhethertochoosetheabovementionedLenteneffort.
FromThe Power and The Wisdom:
ThepivotoftheChristianmoralrevolutionislove[agapé].ThisistheentirelynewanduniquefeatureofChristianmoralteaching;itisnotthecenterofamoralstructure,itistheentiremoralstructure.NoonequestionsthecentralityofloveinNewTestamentmorality;itisquestionablewhetherChristianshavealwaysgraspedhowdifferentitisandhowtotalitis.IventuretostateitstotalitybysayingthatintheNewTestamentandActs,that whichisnotanactoflove,hasnomoralvalueatall.ThereisnomoralactioninChristianlifeexcepttheactoflove.
Loveisthepowerwhichdestroysallotherpowers,theloveofGodrevealedandactiveinJesusChrist.GodrevealedinJesusthatHelovesmanandwilldeliverhimthroughloveandthroughnothingelse...Ultimatelymanisprovedhelplessinthefaceoftheevilwhichhehimselfhaswrought.HehasnohopeofrecoveryorofsurvivalexceptinthesavingactofGod.ThesavingactofJesusisanactoflove ofthetypewhichHerecommendsintheGospels.HelovesGodbylovingHisfellowmen.Theologiansdistinguishthe “God-ward” and “man-ward” aspectsofthesavingact;buttheNewTestamentdoesnotusesuchdistinctions.ThesavingactisallGod-wardandallman-ward;itmovestowardGodbymovingtowardman,asJesustellsHisdisciplestheyalsomustdo.AndHeleavesnoroomformantomovetowardGodexceptthroughhisfellowman.
ThispowerofloveisseeninthedeathofJesus;itisseenmorefullyinHisresurrection.
Christlives.ThelifeofaChristianisnottheimitationofadeadhero—anditisworthnoticingthatitcanbecomejustthat.Christlives.TheChristianlivesinChristandChristlivesintheChristian.TheNewTestamentspeaksoflovebecauseitrisesoutofanuncreatedlove.Itistheoneenduringrealityinthecreatedworld,andinitmanachievesenduringrealityandvalue.BecauseofthisenduringpowermanisenabledinanyconditiontolivethelifeofJesusandtocontinueinhisownpersonthelove,whichisthesavingact.TheChristianknowsthathisloveistheactivepresenceandpowerofGodintheworld;ifhelacksithetakesawayGod'spresencefromtheonlyplacewherehecanputit.HehascomebetweenhisneighborandthesavingloveofJesusChrist.ThemoralityofreasonandnatureisnotthemoralitywhichcontinuesthelifeofChrist.
Thelaw-abidingcitizen,likethecriminal,willbesavedonlybytheloverevealedbyJesusintheGospels.Hehastobetaughtthemeaningofthatlovebyexperiencingit.
FromTheCatechismoftheCatholicChurchonJesus'newcommandment:
Sec.1970, “TheentireLawoftheGospeliscontainedinthe‘newcommandment’ofJesus,toloveoneanotherasHehaslovedus.”(Jn15:12,13:34).
Sec.2822,Thy Will Be Done on Earth as it Is in Heaven:“OurFatherdesiresallmenbesavedandcometotheknowledgeofthetruth(1Tm2:3-4).Hiscommandmentisthat‘youshouldloveoneanother;evenasIhavelovedyou,thatyoushouldloveoneanother.’ThiscommandmentsummarizesallothersandexpressesHisentirewill.”
“Jesus,givemethepowertolovepeopleasyoulovepeople.”
—Emmanuel Charles McCarthy
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