In our portion, “mundane” matters of diet and farming mingle with “profound” issues of personal sacrifice and capital punishment. Grace truly is often a blessing in disguise.The abundance and variety of these mitzvot reinforce an ancient insight of Judaism: There is an innate connection between the ritual and the spiritual, between the ethical and the ethereal. “What if Your blessings come through rain drops? What if Your healing comes through tears? What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near? What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?” I cannot help but hear in my heart the words of a song referred to in a previous article: That’s the lex talionis at work-choosing to look at all things from the eyes of mercy.įorgiveness is probably a choice-an option to look at all things as a channel of God’s blessings.
But forgiving and choosing to look at God’s blessings and being grateful keep me grounded. Then she said, “The memory of the betrayal is still there. I posed this question to her: From the time you realized you had forgiven your foes, has there been any difference in your life? She knew she had healed and forgiven all who had wronged and betrayed her. She said that at that point she felt a warm flow of energy throughout her body. Today, all I can say, together with my team is, ‘thank you!’” The challenges were frustrating and almost led us to despair and give up. The actual work on it started four years ago. We first discussed this project years ago. “It has been a long and winding route to this day. Then she launched her own major project quite similar to the one that failed eight years earlier which her colleagues tried to pin on her.Īt the inauguration of her project, she said the following lines in her speech, parts of which I quote with her permission: But she admitted breaking down in tears, hurt by the betrayal of people she had helped to advance in their careers. She said it was fine because she already felt liberated to be given the chance to tell the truth. The boss even told her that he would issue a formal acknowledgment and address the points she had raised. The head of the company sent her a text message, thanking her for shedding light on the issues. She wrote a seven-page letter recounting all the details of the said project and effectively exposing the lies and deception of the other group. But soon she felt she had to say her piece and did so quietly and objectively. One day, one of her colleagues from her former office told her that she was being made the scapegoat of a group whose projects had failed miserably.
She said she was doing better and enjoying herself. She resigned and immediately got another job. She focused on her work.Īfter doing her best to help the company she loved, it was time for her to move on. Even then, she could not be fired because the company’s clients loved her and were all praises for her. Upon her return she was immediately offered a major position in the company she worked for.īut her bosses felt threatened and started to clip her wings. She was already quite known as a young, upcoming star. In 1985 she came back from her master’s studies aboard. (I had asked her permission two days ago if I could share it in today’s reflection and she coyly agreed, so long she is not identified.) In one retreat held over five years ago, somebody told a story of betrayal, anger, pain, healing and forgiveness. Of course, many of us would admit that the hardest thing to do is to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. It is going beyond what is asked or required of you. Look at the succeeding prescriptions or laws in this Sunday’s Gospel: If someone hits you on the right cheek, offer the left if someone grabs your tunic, offer your cloak as well if you are pressed to accompany someone for a mile, go the extra mile. The lex talionis was actually the starting point of being merciful and forgiving.
Before being ordained as a priest who would hear confessions, we were told to make the penance meaningful, commensurate to the offense and, most important, one that will help the person learn positive values that will overcome the sin or offense.
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