Tread Underfoot Our Guilt

Tread Underfoot Our Guilt

July 24, 2012

Tuesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

By Beth DeCristofaro

Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, And will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? (Micah 7:18-20)

…stretching out his hand toward his disciples, (Jesus) said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother."  (Matthew12:49-50)

Piety

Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty,
my memory, my understanding and my whole will.
All that I am and all that I possess You have given me.
I surrender it all to You
to be disposed of according to Your will.
Give me only Your love and Your grace;
with these I will be rich enough, and will desire nothing more.

St. Ignatius of Loyola

Study

This week and last I’ve found myself trying so very hard to navigate my days without reading the headlines.  It’s pretty depressing.  Massacre.  Child Abuse.  Bombardment.  Election manipulation.  I could go on but I’m depressing myself.  There is no 48-pt type trumpeting the “doing of my heavenly Father’s will.”  Instead we read a litany of “my rights” gone very wrong and very bad.  My right to own a gun…or two or three.  My right to my craving however hurtful to another.  My right to run a country as I see fit and damn! those who object.  My right to win at any cost. 

Beth personally?  I struggle with my right to have my way.  I suspect that Jesus would look at me and say with gentle admonition:  Beth, whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother." 

Don’t get me wrong.  The Bill of Rights of our Constitution has worked, for the most part, to uphold the basic human rights of men and women in a secular, governmental manner.  It is when our quest for fairness and equity becomes perverted toward a faulty and often evil will that we trample upon Jesus’ admonition. 

Action

What am I called to do?  Jesus continually asks us to love.  Micah speaks God’s promise of compassion, clemency, forgiveness and loyalty.   What “rights” do I cling to which are clearly my will not God’s Will?  Ask for God’s mercy and give up that “right” to God.