Today's word from the Gospel jumping out at me . . . liable.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines this as obligated according to law or equity. I hear this and all I can think of are the protesters spewing hatred and violence across America because they don't know what else to do with themselves. The question that comes to mind is . . . don't they have jobs? Responsibilities? A life? If only they would direct all that energy to cleaning up neighborhoods devastated by poverty and crime instead of destroying small businesses, leaving trash/debris everywhere for hard working men/women to clean up after them. Jesus's words today are so pertinent to the climate in America at this time. Intolerance is being lauded instead of integrity. Violence instead of kindness. Though we can judge an action, we can't judge a soul. Therefore, we must begin within, auditing our own behaviors and actions. Compliance with Our Lord's teaching today (Matthew 5:20-26) is all about accountability . . . making us liable:
Jesus said to his disciples: "I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.
"You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court. Otherwise, your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny."
In Anne a lay apostle's book Staying in Place, her words/teaching hold true for each and every one of God's children:
"Like it or not, accept it or not, our Catholic Church is known for guilt complexes. People even use the word Catholic as an adjective for a certain type of guilt. Now, guilt is not a bad thing. Taking responsibility for one’s mistakes, especially when these mistakes elevate to the level of sin, is crucial for development. We must hold ourselves accountable for actions that hurt either ourselves or others. This is good formation and if taught correctly prompts the growth of integrity. Nothing is wrong on the face of that. As long as it allows for process and prompts people to ask the question ‘Why’? And also gives a path to adapt bad habits by providing a ‘How?’
Let us look at what can be called the other side of guilt, shame. What people are probably referencing when they say Catholic guilt is actually closer to shame. Shame is not from God. God does not want us to feel shame. The truth is that our sacramental life actually helps people to manage their guilt so they are not stuck in quagmires of shame which can cripple ongoing development as well as distort us and others. So it is crucial that we distinguish between the two and keep ourselves in a place of realistic understanding of our sins and patterns of sin. Perhaps we should break it down further.
Guilt communicates the following: ‘You did a bad thing.’ Or, far better, ‘I did a bad thing. I am capable of doing bad things.’ This is the truth. It is our condition as human beings. We have choices to make and sometimes, for various reasons, we make the wrong choices. The result can be sin which rightfully prompts guilt.
Shame communicates the following: ‘You are a bad person’. Or, sadly, ‘I am a bad person. I am not capable of good things anymore because the past actions I have committed mean I am permanently marked.’ This cruel distortion of the truth is immature, unrealistic, distorted and the enemy of all unity and peace and growth."
Lay apostles, we all have made poor choices which didn't exactly turn out as we thought they would, right? Unfortunately, our wounded humanity arises when we feel defeated or fearful, causing us to react. All Jesus is trying to tell us is when we do cause hurt, ask for forgiveness . . . make things right. And as Anne says, make sure you know the difference between guilt and shame. Don't let the enemy skew your thoughts, holding you back from being liable for your actions.
Thank you, Lord, for the crystal clear directions on how to be accountable/liable for my words and actions.
God bless,
Bonnie
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