June 15, 2015 - Monday

When someone strikes you on (your) right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. (Matthew 5:39b-42 NABRE)

Here in Matthew's gospel, Jesus teaches a large crowd about revenge, or so it appears. But in his words, I find instead an astounding message of unreasonable generosity. Though it is surrounded by words of retaliation and evil, today's passage talks of doing more good than you are asked to do in every situation.

Consider the circumstances Jesus describes:

• Someone hits you
• Someone misuses the law to take your property
• Someone forces you unreasonably to work for them
• Someone asks you for something
• Someone wants to borrow money from you

Each of these is an injustice or an imposition, and responding to them is inconvenient at best and painful at worst. In every case, the right response costs us. In every case, the Jesus response contradicts our natural inclination. We are called to be unreasonably generous in our response.

Consider the specific deeds Jesus tells us are the right responses to these impositions:

• Turn the other cheek (instead of fighting for honor)
• Give away even more property than required (rather than pursuing legal recourse)
• Work doubly hard for the unreasonable person (rather than fight, argue, or offend over it)
• Give to those in need as soon as asked (rather than embarrassing the other person)
• Lend to those in need (rather than avoiding them or making excuses)

These good deeds challenge every Christian to change, to reconsider their own motivations, and to humbly seek God's power to overcome pride and the desire for revenge--which are almost always hidden from us, disguised as fairness or justice.

Today, I will keep aware of and pray for the strength to resist my own tendencies to pride, control, and vengeance.


Saint Marguerite d’Youville, called the Mother of Universal Charity, pray for us.