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Friday, 22 January 2010

Feast of St. Agnes 2010

Though we will all be saved in the end, we may not be too happy to share eternal life with Hitler, with rapists or butchers etc.
I have tried to imagine what a baby Hitler was like when he was breastfed by his mother, what a rapist when he stepped his right foot forward as a toddler. I wonder how such innocent babies turn murderous.
Then I would switch to imagine what a cannibal Idi Amin, ex-president of Uganda, was like when he passed away peacefully at a mature age of 78 in Saudi Arabia. What does God see in them? I know, to quote all mothers, they are babies! If only we can see what God sees, we will not be happy to share the same heaven with these murderers.
Between cradle and grave, I can think of many saints and martyrs. The story of Agnes, of how the life of a beautiful maid was cut short because of her faith and beauty, illustrates the fragility of life. Her faith and love of Christ is admirable. Therefore, we feel that the life of Agnes was precious. We don't like Hitler and Amin because of the crimes and sins they had committed. Our sense of justice does not allow us to be sympathetic towards these beasts! Isn't justice one of the four cardinal virtues?
But were they not blessed at the beginning and continued to be sustained and blessed by God till the end of their lives?

The story of Saul in the First Book of Samuel is instructive. David helped him eliminate a grave threat, Goliath. Instead of being grateful to David, Saul was infuriated by the praises sung by the women.
And the women sang to one another as they made merry, "Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his ten thousands."
And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him; he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands; and what more can he have but the kingdom?"
 (1 Samuel 18:7-8)
Twice Saul tried to pin David to the wall with his spear (1 Samuel 18:11). Twice he failed but Saul had never given up attempting on the life of David.
Twice David had the opportunity to kill Saul and David's followers believed that God had given David the opportunity (1 Samuel 24:4, 26:8). Twice David spared Saul, arguing that however bad Saul had been to him, he was the anointed one of God (1 Samuel 24:6, 26:9). The book of Samuel painted David a faithful servant of God, leaving vengeance to God. David did not take justice in his own hand.
Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly(Deuternomy 32:35).
No, God does not want to make our hands dirty. He prefers to do it himself. When David intended to kill Nabal who slighted him, God sent Abigail, Nabal's wife, to save David from committing a bloodguilt.
And David said to Abigail, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me!
Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from avenging myself with my own hand!
 (1 Samuel 25:32-33)
Vengeance is God's and God killed Nabal to avenge his insult against David, His faithful servant.
And about ten days later the LORD smote Nabal; and he died.
When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be the LORD who has avenged the insult I received at the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from evil; the LORD has returned the evil-doing of Nabal upon his own head." Then David sent and wooed Abigail, to make her his wife
 (1 Samuel 25:38-39).
Modern men may not be able to swallow this story which was written from the perspective of the Israelites. But the message is clear. God's way is not our way. God's justice is not our justice. Therefore, if we are happy to share heavenly abode with Agnes, we should be happy to share eternal life with Hitler and Amin! Is this logic acceptable to you?

Dear Lord, praise be Your mercy and faithfulness. We are merely Your worthless creatures. We will never be able to fathom the mystery of Your wisdom. Amen.

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