By FR. BEL R. SAN LUIS, SVD
THERE’S a joke about a man in prison who was generously donating his bodily organs. He donated first one of his kidneys, then his eye, then an arm. The warden became suspicious and growled: “Hey, you are escaping by installment!
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In the gospel of this 26th Sunday, Christ talks about bodily mutilation. “If your hand or foot should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life crippled, than to have two hands or feet and go to hell.” (cf. Mark 9,43). * * *
In some Middle East countries, a robber is punished by the authority with cutting of the finger or hand depending on the kind and gravity of his crime. It’s a gruesome penalty but it is an effective deterrent.
Physical mutilation, however, is no guarantee that the wrongdoer will not commit crime again. There are armless people who steal or mastermind a crime.
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Our Lord is saying in a hyperbolic way that the root cause of sin or wrongdoing should be cut or eradicated. For instance, an evil motive or desire should be cut since our mind influences our actions.
The second important lesson our Lord stresses in the Sunday gospel is that nothing is more important than eternal salvation. The value of a hand or a foot is nothing compared to the value of eternal life.
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This may be compared to a man who has a serious infection in the right leg. The doctor tells him that the gangrenous leg has to be amputated. “It’s better for you to lose the leg than to lose your life,” the doctor wants to say.
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There’s a certain lady who’s been separated from her husband but is carrying on an affair with a married man.
The woman knows deep inside that what she’s doing is morally wrong but it’s hard for her to break off. She’s confused and unhappy. Her situation is like the rubber band. If you pull it in opposite directions, you create a tension. Once you let go of one end, there is no longer any tension.
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The question is: What is that thing or person that you should remove or “cut off”? Is it excessive attachment, say, to money, drinking, gambling, or an illicit relation?
One has to honestly admit what it is that is holding him back from God. Then he must pray for the COURAGE to give it up – even if it is something or someone as precious as a hand, a foot, or an eye – in exchange for eternal salvation.
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SEAFARERS SUNDAY. Today, September 30, is National Seafarers Sunday. “Seafarers” is a broad term which refers to people working in ships, active and retired seamen, fishermen, those waiting for maritime employment, including maritime students.
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We pray that the Lord keep our Filipino seafarers safe from all dangers – physical, moral and spiritual. May the bond of love and unity with their families remain strong despite the loneliness of their work, the distance and long separation.
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To paraphrase the Lord: “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but suffers the loss of his own family.”