{"id":18079,"date":"2015-03-02T01:36:13","date_gmt":"2015-03-02T07:36:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/?p=18079"},"modified":"2017-04-17T21:58:46","modified_gmt":"2017-04-18T01:58:46","slug":"mercy-for-a-people-in-darkness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/mercy-for-a-people-in-darkness\/","title":{"rendered":"Mercy for a People in Darkness","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Monday of the Second Week of Lent, March 2nd, 2015<\/p>\n

Liturgical texts here<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

THERE<\/strong> is a line from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings<\/em> that, among others, jumped out at me when the character Frodo wishes for the death of his adversary, Gollum. The wise wizard Gandalf responds:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Many that live deserve death. And some die that deserve life. Can you give that to them? Then be not too eager to deal out death in the name of justice, fearing for your own safety. Even the wise cannot see all ends. <\/span><\/strong>\u2014The Lord of the Rings. The Two Towers<\/em>, Book Four, I, “The Taming of Sm\u00e9agol”<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Today, there are many “Frodos” judging and condemning this generation. Certainly, the Church can and must call objective evil by its name, pointing out not only the dangers of sin, but the hope that lies in Christ. Yet, the words of Jesus apply to our times as much as they did His:<\/p>\n

\n

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. (Today’s Gospel)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

For when Christ appeared, it was to “the people who sit in darkness.” <\/em>[1]<\/sup><\/a>cf. Matt 4:16<\/span><\/span>