LIVING
TRUTH AND
THE VALUES OF SOCIETY
THE VALUES OF SOCIETY
God has a purpose for each one of us. To
discover it by living it out day by day is our very definition as a person. To
be one's own self in faith until we find ourselves in God is true living!
Despite the pleading of his son, Jonathan, Saul was so consumed
with bitter envy toward David that he continued in his plot to kill him. In
today's reading from the Book of Samuel, we see that David has the opportunity
to put Saul to death. He did not do so out of respect for Saul as his king and
master, and the one whom the Lord anointed. It was an extraordinary act on
David's part and reflects not only esteem for the King but for God from Whom
the dignity of the king came.
In the Responsorial Psalm we pray, "Have mercy on me, God,
have mercy on me, for in You I take refuge. In the shadow of Your wings I take
refuge, till harm pass by" (Ps 57:2). God always sends His mercy and
faithfulness upon us. He sees what we don't see and knows what we don't know.
He knows us! God has a purpose for each one of us. To discover it by living it
out day by day is our very definition as a person. To be one's own self in
faith until we find ourselves in God is true living!
In baptism, we are anointed with sacred chrism, which
"signifies the gift of the Holy Spirit to the newly baptized, who has
become a Christian, that is, one 'anointed' by the Holy Spirit, and
incorporated into Christ Who is anointed priest, prophet, and king" (CCC
1241). We are called by baptism to love each other as brothers and sisters. But
before we can really love people, we must respect them. We must first see the
source of Christian dignity, which is God's free choice. All who are baptized
are called by God just as surely as the Apostles who were mentioned in the
Gospel today. This is not to say or judge that the unbaptized are excluded, for
God wills that all humans be saved and ultimately come to the dignity that has
been granted through baptism.
Just as Jesus called the Twelve for a mission, we too are called
to share in the mission of the Church. Let us ask ourselves, "What is
God's call for me in my life?" Jesus embarks on His mission, challenging
people to take on the task of preaching the Good News of the Kingdom of God and
healing the sick by the power of His Kingdom. Notice that Jesus chose very
ordinary people. They were non-professionals who had no wealth or position.
Today, the Church honors Saint Francis De Sales, Bishop and
Doctor. He was elected bishop of Geneva and proved to be a true pastor to
clergy and laity, educating them through writing and his acts of faith for all
God's children. All of this so that they can come to know truth! Living the
truth is a challenge as we see the "values" our society esteems. A
well dressed person usually receives respect, but the poor often do not,
especially those who are labeled as "bums" or "winos". A
wealthy person usually receives respect, but not an alien, especially an
illegal alien who cannot speak English. An influential person usually receives
respect, but not the powerless or the defenseless, especially a child in the
womb.
We are called to turn those values around. One might say that it
was easy for David to respect Saul because Saul was a king. But, all the people
we meet are either sharers in Christ's kingship or are called to be such. We
must respect them before we can truly love them.
Are we living in the truth?