ວິທີການຂອງການຂັດແຍ້ງ

ປະຈຸບັນນີ້ ຄຳ ເວົ້າກ່ຽວກັບການອ່ານ
ສຳ ລັບວັນເສົາຂອງອາທິດ ທຳ ອິດຂອງການອອກພັນສາ, ວັນທີ 28 ກຸມພາ, 2015

ບົດເລື່ອງ Liturgical ທີ່ນີ້

I ໄດ້ຟັງລາຍການວິທະຍຸກະຈາຍສຽງຂອງລັດການາດາ, CBC, ໃນເວລາຂີ່ລົດກັບຄືນບ້ານ. ເຈົ້າພາບຂອງການສະແດງດັ່ງກ່າວໄດ້ ສຳ ພາດແຂກທີ່“ ປະຫລາດໃຈ” ທີ່ບໍ່ສາມາດເຊື່ອໄດ້ວ່າສະມາຊິກສະພາແຫ່ງຊາດການາດາຍອມຮັບວ່າບໍ່ເຊື່ອໃນວິວັດທະນາການ (ຊຶ່ງ ໝາຍ ຄວາມວ່າ ທຳ ມະດາເຊື່ອວ່າການສ້າງຂື້ນມາໂດຍມີພະເຈົ້າ, ບໍ່ແມ່ນຄົນຕ່າງດ້າວຫລືບໍ່ມີຕົວຕົນທີ່ເຊື່ອຖືວ່າບໍ່ມີພຣະເຈົ້າ. ໄດ້ເອົາໃຈໃສ່ສັດທາຂອງພວກເຂົາໃນ). ບຸກຄົນທົ່ວໄປໄດ້ກ່າວເນັ້ນເຖິງຄວາມອຸທິດຕົນຂອງເຂົາເຈົ້າທີ່ບໍ່ພຽງແຕ່ມີວິວັດທະນາການເທົ່ານັ້ນແຕ່ພາວະໂລກຮ້ອນ, ການສັກຢາກັນພະຍາດ, ການເອົາລູກອອກ, ແລະການແຕ່ງງານແບບແຕ່ງງານ - ລວມທັງ“ ຄຣິສຕຽນ” ຢູ່ໃນກະດານ. ບຸກຄົນທົ່ວໄປທີ່ກ່າວເຖິງຜົນກະທົບນັ້ນກ່າວວ່າ“ ຜູ້ໃດທີ່ສອບຖາມວິທະຍາສາດແທ້ໆບໍ່ ເໝາະ ສົມກັບ ສຳ ນັກງານສາທາລະນະ,”.

It was a chilling display of the soft totalitarianism that is changing the face of not only Canada, but the entire world, one country at a time. I mean, there are scientists who, based on excellent published research, question the science of global warming, the theories of evolution, the wisdom of vaccinations, the morality of abortion, and the experiment of gay marriage. But you see, what these talk show guests were really saying is that there is no room for anyone who disagrees with ໃຫ້ເຂົາເຈົ້າ. Clearly, anyone who does is seemingly deranged and should be kept from the public for the common good. ^[1]cf. ຄວາມທົນທານຕໍ່? 

Once again, the words of Pope Francis come to mind:

…it is the globalization of hegemonic uniformity, it is the single thought. And this sole thought is the fruit of worldliness. —POPE FRANCIS, Homily, ວັນທີ 18 ພະຈິກ, 2013; Zenit

Get used to it Christian! The “narrow road” that Jesus said we must walk is getting ແຄບ. In fact, it has fast become the Way of Contradiction, because to hold fast to the truth today almost entirely contradicts the status quo. The way forward, though, is not to become as bigoted and loud as our opponents (as we sometimes see in the “right wing” of American culture). Rather, it is to do two things, as outlined in today’s readings…

I. Follow God’s commandments.

Be careful, then, to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. (First reading)

We are not to become big (mouthed) but little, to become small, humble, and faithful. One day at a time, one duty at a time. Obey His moral precepts, even as the world goes the opposite direction. Constancy, not compromise. Keep your eyes on the road paved in His holy will, putting each step forward into the footprints of the martyrs before us. Even though you ຈະ be mocked for your faith (or driven from your village, as in the Middle East), know that this faithfulness is the source of every blessing:

Blessed are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are they who observe his decrees, who seek him with all their heart. (Today’s Psalm)

II. Pray for those who persecute you

The temptation is to strike back at those who strike us. But Jesus says something radical in today’s Gospel:

I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father.

So by your fidelity to the truth, and by love of your enemies, your life itself will become the Way of Contradiction… a path that some will mock, others will follow, and that always leads to eternal life.

In Libya, Muslims are killing Christians whom they call “the people of the Cross.” ^[2]cf. www.jihadwatch.org Yes, that is precisely who we are to be.