XXIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Philemon 1:9-10,12-17
We might think that slavery was a thing of the past, but it is not so. There are still slaves in many countries, and we have heard time and again how the Islamic state take slaves; and in doing that, they are walking on the footsteps of Muhammad, who owned slaves, and allowed his soldiers to use the women caught in war to be used as sexual slaves for the satisfaction of their lust. And for that purpose, they can be as young as nine or ten years old.
Speaking of slavery, we cannot forget the europeans nations were the perpetrators of the slave trade that took millions to the Americas. However for that, they cannot justify themselves appealing to the example and teaching of Jesus Christ, or even to the example of the first centuries of Christianity.
There are some who are ready to blame Paul for not abolishing slavery. Maybe they forget that Paul had no political power and no political influence. In fact, the emerging Church was no more than a marginal religious movement in the Roman society, which was persecuted, with thousand of Christians being tortured and killed at the hands of the Roman authorities.
In this Sunday’s liturgy, we read the letter that Paul wrote to Philemon about his slave Onesimus, who run away from him and took refuge with Paul. A run-away slave, once caught, could be condemned to death and it was a crime to hide him or to give him refuge. By allowing Onesimus to stay with him, Paul put his own life at great risk. During his stay with Paul, Onesimus converted and was baptised. And then Paul convinced him to go back to his master, Philemon, carrying a letter from Paul, pleading for Onesimus. The whole affair was very risky both for Paul and for Onesimus; however, in his letter, Paul expresses his confidence in Philemon that he would receive Onesimus and treat him as a brother:
I know you have been deprived of Onesimus for a time, but it was only so that you could have him back for ever, not as a slave any more, but something much better than a slave, a dear brother; especially dear to me, but how much more to you, as a blood-brother as well as a brother in the Lord. (Philemon, vv 15-16)
Paul’s thought expressed in the appeal that he made to Philemon is radical, and it was not so out of convenience, because he wrote in a similar manner to the Galatians:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal 3:28)
All of us have the same dignity - be it slave or free, man or woman. We are all one in Christ Jesus.
In the past and in our own times, slaves are seen as the scum of the earth. They are treated as nobodies. However, for the followers of Jesus Christ, they are children of God like everybody else, and they deserve to be recognised, protected, respected and loved like everybody else.
CANONISATION OF MOTHER TERESA
This Sunday, Mother Teresa of Calcutta will be declared a saint. She was touched by the suffering of people abandoned to die on the streets; and like the Good Samaritan, she could not pass by as if she saw nothing. She abandoned her comfortable life as teacher of the rich in a covent school to dedicate her whole life to the poor and the suffering.
By declaring her a saint, the Church is reminding us that all of us are called to be saints; and it will be easier to do so, if we look at her as our role model.
Some quotations of Madre Teresa:
One of the greatest diseases is to be nobody to anybody.
Mother Teresa
Love to be real, it must cost—it must hurt—it must empty us of self.
― Mother Teresa
If we pray, we will believe; If we believe, we will love; If we love, we will serve.
― Mother Teresa
I am not sure exactly what heaven will be like, but I know that when we die and it comes time for God to judge us, he will not ask, ‘How many good things have you done in your life?’ rather he will ask, ‘How much love did you put into what you did?
― Mother Teresa
People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
― Mother Teresa
When a poor person dies of hunger it has not happened because God did not take care of him or her. It has happened because neither you nor I wanted to give that person what he or she needed.
― Mother Teresa
There’s nothing more calming in difficult moments that knowing there’s some one fighting with you.
― Mother Teresa
A life not lived for others is not a life.
― Mother Teresa
Our life of contemplation shall retain the following characteristics:
—missionary: by going out physically or in spirit in search of souls all over the universe.
—contemplative: by gathering the whole universe at the very center of our hearts where the Lord of the universe abides, and allowing the pure water of divine grace to flow plentifully and unceasingly from the source itself, on the whole of his creation.
—universal: by praying and contemplating with all and for all, especially with and for the spiritually poorest of the poor.”
― Mother Teresa, In the Heart of the World: Thoughts, Stories and Prayers
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