HOMILY for 12th Mon per annum (II)
preached at the Missionaries of Charity convent in Edinburgh
2 Kings 17:5-8. 13-15. 18; Ps 59; Mt 7:1-5
As religious living in community today’s Gospel is especially pertinent, particularly striking. For who among us has not looked at a brother or sister in the community, and thought ourselves better, more worthy, more deserving? How often do we find ourselves judging our brothers and sisters, our superiors, and we find them lacking? Or perhaps we are quick to notice the failings of others, but we forget our own?
But St Francis de Sales, in his advice to religious communities, wrote this: “Our community, no more than any other religious community, is not a group of perfect women but rather a group of women who are aiming at and tending toward perfection. It is a school where we come to learn about the means that we must use to become perfect”. And so, we should expect that in a school we are all learners, all prone to mistakes and failings. In the Dominican tradition, when we make profession, we are asked: “What do you seek?”, and we say: “God’s mercy and yours”. And so, I try to remember that at some point, my brothers asked for my mercy just as I was once prostrate on the ground asking for theirs. As such, the religious community is a school of mercy, as we teach each other what mercy means, and thus we discover, too, how gracious and merciful God is.
As St Thérèse of Lisieux, whom our beloved Mother Teresa was named after, said: “It is the Lord, it is Jesus, Who is my judge. Therefore I will try always to think leniently of others, that He may judge me leniently, or rather not at all, since He says: "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged.” Notice that for the Little Flower, mercy means thinking leniently; it means being ready to excuse the other. We are often very good at excusing ourselves, maybe; often lenient with ourselves. So let us love our neighbour as ourselves, and give to them at least the same leniency and mercy. We’re called to be a ‘Little Flower’ to others, too, like a sweet-smelling rose with soft petals, not a thorn!
And as we do this, we will learn the way of perfection; to be as loving and gentle and compassionate as Christ, our just Judge is. We will learn, in other words, the Way that leads to holiness. Thus, St Josemaria Escrivá said: “Don’t say: 'That person gets on my nerves.’ Think: 'That person sanctifies me’.”
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