In the north of the country of Chile lies the Atacama desert, one of the driest, most isolated, harshest environments in the world. The Atacama desert is also a place of great mineral wealth, with many mines are located there. On August 5, 2010, there was a collapse at the San Jose copper-gold mine in the Atacama desert; it trapped 33 men half a mile underground. Thankfully, this group of miners was led by a courageous leader, their foreman Luis Urzúa; he immediately recognized the seriousness of the accident. Taking charge in this challenging situation, he organized the men for their long-term survival. Rather than panicking, he helped his men cope mentally with the crisis. He prayed with the miners and told them to have faith in God that they would be rescued. He made detailed maps of the area to help the rescuers and coordinated closely with them. When the miners were rescued 69 days later on October 13, foreman Luis Urzúa was the last man to be rescued. He remained cool and calm under pressure.
The foreman of these trapped Chilean miners showed extraordinary leadership in that time of crisis, earning the loyalty and love of his men. However, this is nothing compared to the leadership Jesus exemplifies, how Jesus defied expectations and taught the people to see God in a new way. As we are his disciples, Jesus wants us to do things that might seem impossible: turning the other cheek, not retaliating against someone who wrongs us, loving our enemies, not judging others, and praying for those who attack us. Jesus expects this of us, but we know that following these teaching is a challenge. Our Gospel ends today with Jesus telling us something extraordinary: to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. We are to strive toward perfection, to live out the values of God’s kingdom as best we can in the reality of life, and to live out God’s purpose for us here on earth, even though we will never achieve this perfection.
In our first reading from the first book of Samuel, David shows mercy and forgiveness to King Saul. Saul had set out to kill David, jealous of the love that the people had for David, but then David had the opportunity to kill King Saul. David shows mercy when he could have killed Saul in retribution. We have other numerous examples of Christians who have followed Christ’s teachings found in today’s Gospel. One evening in 1944, in German occupied France in the middle of the WWII, Pierre-Marie Théas, the Bishop of Montauban, spoke in his cathedral against the persecution of Jews and the deportation of French men as forced laborers. The following night he was arrested by the Gestapo. He was sent to a detention camp at Compiègne, France from where most prisoners were transported to concentration camps in Germany. Bishop Théas was imprisoned with Protestants, Jews, non-believers, trade unionists, and resistance workers. When some prisoners asked him to minister to them, he preached about forgiveness, suggesting that they should pray for their captors. This provoked outrage from his fellow prisoners. Bishop Théas replied to them: “My friends, I cannot proclaim anything except what the Lord said: Love your enemies. No more, no less.” Bishop Théas was released from the concentration camp after ten weeks, returning to his Diocese. After the war’s conclusion, he became the first president of the movement for reconciliation and peace named Pax Christi. The group first worked on reconciliation between France and Germany. It was recognized by Pope Pius XII as an official Catholic Peace Movement. Today, that influential organization, Pax Christi International, declares its mission is "to transform a world shaken by violence, terrorism, deepening inequalities, and global insecurity.”
In our modern world, people use their influence and power in different ways. Some use power to impress others and to live a lavish lifestyle. Some politicians use their power to help wealthy friends and to make personal gains, rather than working for justice and the common good. Some use power to oppress others or to gain revenge. Others use power to lash out at others in anger. Yet, others use power according to Jesus’ teachings: by performing acts of kindness, by seeking reconciliation and forgiveness, by working toward a resolution to violence and hatred, and by listening to others and trying to find common ground.
We are called to share God’s love with others in light of Christ’s radical message, but sometimes, something holds us back. Perhaps there is a certain fear or hurt or resentment that is keeping us from becoming the person God wants us to be, from embracing Christ’s Good News. With those things weighing us down, it can be difficult to love, to forgive, and to reach out to others. It is definitely hard letting go sometimes. When we are mad at someone or when we are overwhelmed by emotions of fear or resentment, our motives can get out of wack. Not only do we hurt others in the process, but we damage our faith and spirituality. That can take us far away from the values of our faith. The anger and hatred that we can harbor in our hearts can destroy us faster than any disease or any weapon. Jesus knew this very well. It is easy for us to water down Christ’s message in order to make it easier for us. Our Gospel message today contains a wisdom that is often so different from the message we get from the world. If we Christians don’t live out this message and proclaim it to the world, then it won’t be heard at all.
