November 13: Thursday of Week 32 of Ordinary Time, Year
A-II:
Philemon 1:7-20; Psalm 146:7, 8-9, 9-10; Luke
17:20-25
What is Jesus saying to us as stewards of his kingship?
(To support Reaching Jesus: 5 Steps to a Fuller Life ... Step Five )
Trash Removal or Love
“The Lord sets
captives free” (Psalm 146:7).
Paul had no civil authority to free the runaway
slave Onesimus. But he furthered the reign of God the best he could by urging
his master to treat him as the equal he had become through Baptism: “no longer
as a slave but… a brother.”
A modern equivalent to slaves are convicts. Pope
Francis told delegates from the International Association of Penal Law that the
death penalty, life imprisonment and the existing prison system are
incompatible with our faith and a violation of the reign of God:
“All
Christians and people of good will are called today to struggle not only for
abolition of the death penalty, but also to improve prison conditions, out of
respect for the human dignity of persons deprived of their liberty.”
He
added, “Life imprisonment is a hidden death penalty” (Catholic News Service, October 23, 2014).
How
does our desire for revenge and security weigh against our belief in repentance
and hope for another’s salvation? To kill a prodigal child of God is like
abortion: we cut off a future. Destroying fear and selfishness prevail over
nurturing hope and love.
To
imprison and “throw away the key” is also to throw away faith, hope and love.
It makes rehabilitation pointless. Why fix what will never get to function?
Our
prisons are trash removal, not human care. We sin by paying for restraint, not
rehabilitation.
PRAY: “The Lord sets
captives free.”
PRACTICE: Visit a prison.
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