11th Week of OT 2018 - Monday - Turning the Other Cheek (Short Homily for Nursing Home Mass)

“When someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.”  This teaching of Jesus was counter-cultural back then, and it is counter-cultural now. The world would say, when someone slaps you on the right cheek, slap them back, harder, get them back, teach them a lesson so they never think to slap you again.  Rather than responding with vengeance, Christians respond to violence as Christ did. Remember, during his Passion, as he was beaten and mocked by Roman Soldiers, he offered his sufferings to the Father for our salvation.

To turn the other cheek, sounds like weakness, it sounds like foolishness.  Our abuser might continue to slap us, they might continue to take advantage of us.  But the way of forgiveness, the way of peace, transforms weakness into a strength that glorifies God and witnesses to Jesus who is Prince of Peace. So when we are hurt, by a neighbor or someone in authority over us, we must resist the impulse to immediately retaliate with a violent word or action. We must remain calm when things don’t go our way.

Instead of returning “evil for evil”, we are to return “good for evil”. This not only stops the cycle of violence, but allows God to reverse and transform it.  Injury suffered with forgiveness will be rewarded in eternity. Christians should stand against injustice, especially toward the most vulnerable, but never out of vengeance or malice toward the perpetrators of violence..

Through our Eucharist today, may our hearts be opened to ever-deeper faithfulness to Christ’s Way of Peace, his way of transforming love for the glory of God and  salvation of souls.

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That all Christians may be faithful to Christ’s way of mercy.

For all those who suffer from violence, war, famine, extreme poverty, addiction, discouragement, loneliness, and those who are alienated from their families.  May they know God’s mercy and be gathered to the eternal kingdom of peace. 

For all those who suffer illness, and those in hospitals, nursing homes and hospice care, that they may be comforted by the healing light of Christ. 

For the response of the souls of our beloved dead, the deceased members of our families friends and parishes, for those who fought and died for our freedom, and for Ken Cole, for whom this mass is offered