Bishop Wcela's comments are based on the readings of the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Amish people live what most of us would call an austere life. No electricity, so they have no lights or televisions or computers. No modern machinery, so they tend their well-kept farms with equipment pulled by horses. No automobiles, so they travel by horse and buggy. No fancy clothes, so they dress simply. They believe Jesus calls them to this lifestyle.
I don't believe that Jesus calls me to that kind of life. Without a car and a telephone and a computer, I wouldn't be able to do much of what I'm called upon to do. However, there's a part of the life of at least one Amish group that I wish I could share and imitate.
Some months ago, a very troubled man entered an Amish school house and shot 10 young girls, six of whom died. It's not hard to imagine the wound the death of six little girls would cause in a small, closed community. Yet the Amish not only extended their forgiveness to the killer, who also shot himself, they also reached out with understanding and compassion to his family. They lived out the kind of love that Jesus calls for in today's Gospel.
The Gospel is part of what is usually called "Jesus' Sermon on the Plain," a summary of the heart of his message. It is filled with challenges that seem almost impossible to take on. "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you… pray for those who mistreat you." "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."
The Amish in that little community faced the challenge of forgiving someone who had done them awful hurt. They came through in a deeply Christian way.
Please God, none of us have faced or will face someone who has killed or terribly injured one we love. Rather, Jesus challenges us in every day situations. There is the person who snubbed us. Or who didn't acknowledge what a great job we did for the company or the community. Or who insulted us publicly. Or who spread nasty stories about us. There is the family member still not spoken to over some long-forgotten dispute.
In all these situations, we itch to strike back, to inflict pain in return for the hurt that has been done to us. Then the words of Jesus take hold. We become aware that this is just the kind of situation in which Jesus calls for forgiveness. What a struggle begins to rage in us! To forgive and forget or to teach a lesson?
I don't wish to make this too simple. Society has a right to protect itself against someone who might harm its members. It has a right to exact some kind of punishment for crimes. We will never be without police and law courts. However, our motive should always be rehabilitation and healing rather than revenge.
As individuals, each of us has the right to defend his or her rights and reputation. However, this should always be done with charity and with the recognition that this person who has harmed us is still a child of God.
David, in the First Reading, recognizes this when he finds King Saul, who has been pursuing David to kill him. David and one of his men sneak into Saul's camp while Saul and his soldiers are sleeping. David's companion urges David to allow him to drive a spear through Saul. David has complete power over whether Saul lives or dies. David responds, "I would not harm the Lord's anointed," the one who is still the God-chosen king.
St. Paul, in the Second Reading, says that we all carry two marks on our lives. The first is the mark of Adam, of man and woman trapped in sin. The second is the mark of Jesus, of the life of the Son of God. This means that there is a conflict within us. The grace of Jesus will one day end the conflict and completely cleanse us from all that is not worthy of "children of the Most High," as Jesus names us in the Gospel. In the meantime, we try to imitate David. We know that there are people against us, as Saul was against him, but we also try to respect the life of God in them.
And while I deeply admire those Amish, I will surely remain a Roman Catholic while trying to imitate their forgiveness.
