
"My love for you will never leave you!"

(Isaiah 54.10) When he was still an infant
his parents divorced.
Three days with his father, three days
with
his mother, one day at his grandma.
Feeling alone, disoriented, confused
When he grew up, he joined a gang.
Now at least he belonged somewhere.
He started stealing, being violent,
cursing,
taking drugs.
He was arrested.
He became viciously angry.
His reasoning was simple.
'I was never loved. Why should I love?
When people come to know me, they put
me
aside.
They should not be surprised if one
day
someone gives me his hand and I shall
simply
sink my teeth into it!'
Our heart is so fragile and vulnerable.
It bleeds terribly when it is wounded.
This is why Jesus Christ tells us that
the
only sensible approach in life is not
to
judge.
Next time you witness a man being violent
with his wife
or a woman who is always irritable
before jumping to conclusions,
remember they have aches and pain inside
which you do not know anything about.
Next time you feel like complaining
because your husband is always on the
go,
never a minute for you
remember that he does not stop not
because
he does not want to
but because perhaps he has lost all
affinity
with you
and he simply does not know how to
attain
it again.
And if you see that your wife is very
nervous
and edgy,
remember that deep deep down
this woman has a weary heart
because she has been carrying hurts
many
many years
and so she turns to drinking, or spending
money or buying clothes
simply to forget…
And if you hear of a guy who have taken
drugs
remember that, whether at fault or
not,
somehow somewhere he has been dumped,
or he is facing problems bigger than
himself.
He just wants to lose contact with
the real
world
because in his perception, it is too
cruel.
Better to live in a world of fantasy.
Jesus was right in underscoring always
an
attitude
of non-judgement,
of not-blaming
of not feeling better than anyone!
Compassion never led me astray.
Abba Pastor said,
"Judge not him who is guilty of
fornication,
if you are chaste,
or you will break the law like him.
For He who said, do not commit fornication,
said also, do not judge."
The saints suggest
that when we find ourselves facing
difficult
people
to see in them Jesus Christ crucified.
Then perhaps Jesus Christ alive in
us
will whisper words of wisdom and gentleness
and reassures us not to be troubled.
We shall hear genuine tender words
that sound
like this…
Do not worry about tomorrow because
your
God is building your future.
Do not worry about the past because
God has
already forgiven
and forgotten everything.
Do not worry about your problems because
He is working vehemently
in your favour.
Do not worry if no one cares for you
because
you are precious in My eyes.
Do not worry if others make fun of
you because
He never demeans you.
Do not worry about the death of your
loved
ones
because He will give them back to you…
These words will pass on to the person
in
front of us.
Thus your silent love will save them
because you will have sown seeds of
hope
in his or her heart.
"
Be careful, my child,
in all you do,
well-disciplined in all your behaviour.
Do to no one what you would not want
done
to you.
Give your bread to those who are hungry,
and your clothes to those who are naked.
Whatever you own in plenty, devote
a proportion
to almsgiving;
and when you give alms, do not do it
grudgingly.
Ask advice of every wise person,
never scorn any profitable advice.
Bless the Lord God in everything,
beg him to guide your ways and bring
your
paths
and purposes to their end.
Do not be afraid, my child, if we have
grown
poor.
You have great wealth if you fear God."
(Tobit 4)
(c) Fr. Pius Sammut, OCD. Permission
is
hereby granted for any non-commercial
use,
provided that the content is unaltered
from
its original state, if this copyright
notice
is included.
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