DAVID BELLUSCI
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John 20: 11-18
"But Mary was standing outside near the tomb, weeping. Then, as she wept, she stooped to look inside, and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. They said, 'Woman, why are you weeping?' 'They have taken my Lord away,' she replied, 'and I don't know where they have put him.' As she said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?' Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, 'Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.' Jesus said, 'Mary!' She turned round then and said to him in Hebrew, 'Rabbuni!' -- which means Master. Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to the brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' So Mary of Magdala told the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord,' and that he had said these things to her." 

radicality of the gospel

12/2/2023

1 Comment

 
Picture
​6th Sunday of Ordinary Time/Year A

​The Book of Sirach (15) states you have before you the choice of fire and water: which would you choose?

Well, probably water because fire burns. Water quenches thirst. Water cools. Fire we associate with burning and pain, with water purity, cleansing, and life. These are the choices of every day because God’s commandments are precisely the equivalent to choosing fire or water:
--Choosing death or choosing life.

​The metaphor used in the book of Ecclesiastes is quite fitting: With fire we might be tempted to poke it, or even put our finger on it, only to discover how hot it is, and even get burned. And suffer. The pain the fire causes, we are left with the marks even the scars of being burned.

Is this any different than when we sin? We are left with the marks of sin? And we can carry that scarred tissue for a long time, even years…
Put out your hand: some choices mean life, others mean death.

Notice the freedom of which Sirach speaks: which ever your prefer, which ever you like – you choose. You are free.
Wonderful expression of freedom: God is not a tyrant who imposes on us and tells us what we must do. No. He leaves us free to choose, but our choice has consequences.
That is where we need to reflect and discern and ask ourselves simply whether this choice brings me closer to God or distances me from God. That’s how we choose.
And if we choose to distance ourselves from God, and place ourselves in the fires of hell, that is what God will give us. Your choice, Sirach says.
If we choose the purifying and regenerating waters that to Everlasting Life, that is what God will give us, Eternal life.
We are left to choose.

The question is whether we fear God, fear God as children who love their heavenly Father, and do not wish to offend Him by choosing sin. That is the choice God leaves us with: to sin or not to sin. While he does not command us to be godless, he has not given us permission to sin, either. When we truly love someone, we have no desire to hurt or offend them – this is true with God.

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    Fr. David Bellusci, O.P.
    is a Roman Catholic Priest, and Assistant Professor 
    of Philosophy and Theology at Catholic Pacific College in Langley, B.C.

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  • Home
    • About Father Bellusci
    • Contact
  • TALKS
    • Upcoming Events
    • Past Events
  • ARTICLES
    • Homilies
    • Blogs
    • Catholic Pilgrim >
      • Photos
    • Book Reviews
  • FRASSATI
    • Reflections
  • Books
    • Pier Giorgio Frassati Truth, Love and Sacrifice
    • Age of Innocence
    • Roman Incense
    • Love Deformed, Love Transformed
    • Ontology Of Blue
    • Amor Dei in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries
    • Beating The Drums
    • Readers Review >
      • Age of Innocence
  • Sexuality
    • Humanae Vitae
    • Theology of the Body >
      • Introduction
      • Lessons 1-9
    • GENDER IDEOLOGY
  • Guest Bloggers
    • Andrzej Skulski
    • Br. Gavin Rodrigues, O.P.
    • Lara Paniagua