26/10/2022

Paul accepts the world, the society he has known since his childhood. He is a Roman Citizen. There are others living in the Empire ruled by Rome who are not citizens. He is a freeman. Slavery as an institution was also not condemned by Jesus. Our place in human society is not important in the light of the Gospel. The Golden Rule applies equally to master and slave, to Emperor and subject, to all of us in the human family that has been created by God to do his will on Earth. Father, mother children we all have to follow Jesus' teaching and so we should do no harm to any other human but we have to accept that there are in our societies rules that can be made by "Caesar" our state 

We all benefit from the state but if the state demands that I follow rules that contradict the will of the Father as revealed in scriptures I must resist. How far should I go in this resistance? The Maccabees paid the ultimate price for Placing the Law of Moses before that of their conquerors as did the Martyrs of the early church in the Roman Empire. In Europe Christians slaughtered Christians who would not agree with each other's understanding of Christ's teaching, God's last revelation. They cynically enslaved fellow humans who were unable to resist the violence with which they were attacked and for this they were not condemned by either state or religion to the fullest extent possible. The second commandment condemns all forms of harm to others. Is not imprisoning the innocent and buying and selling them as chattels a breaking of the commandment of love for others.?

There were some of us, however, who tried to remain true to the will of God. The Golden Rule is still with us and if each one of us put the other before our own selves life would be what Father, Son and Holy Spirit want of us. This isn't naivety or a simplistic dream. It is the teaching of St Paul and the warning of Christ but for it to work each of us has to commit 100% to using the Grace that is ours to accept. St Francis opened himself completely to Grace and was filled with the Holy Spirit. God loves us all and only wants for us to share his love and treat each other as we would want to be treated. 

Dear Lord, help me to live by the words that are being written now. Let me be forgiven for all my offences against my neighbour and let my family love be extended to all men especially to those who are ignoring and attacking you. We are taught that Mary and all the saints are sharing with us in the Church; does that mean the devastation we are wreaking on the Church on earth is known by the saints?  Mary please help us to be a Church that really does render to God the things that are God's and avoid the things of Caesar that do the work of Satan.