October 3: Merciful Presence / Presencia Misericordiosa

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago.” Luke 10, 13

The people of Chorazin and Bethsaida apparently did not appreciate the significance of Jesus among them. They were indifferent to His healing ministry, and were not inclined to take Him seriously. We can be rather like them, can’t we?

How often do we fail to see how the Lord is moving among us? After all, His presence among us is often expressed in very ordinary, unspectacular ways. It might take the form of an unexpected kindness that someone shows to us, an invitation that we had not expected, a word of appreciation or support at a time when it was needed, or a positive, generous response to a request we make.

Jesus is constantly and mercifully present to us, in and through each other. In His own words, “Whoever listens to you listens to me.” Again, we don’t always notice His presence, though He is indeed gracing us in countless different ways. At the end of this week, it would be worthy to look back over the week, to discern hints of the Lord’s gracious presence – and to quietly give thanks for that.

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Los medios modernos de comunicación han hecho al mundo más estrechamente unido o globalizado, pero también nos han mostrado más claramente la presencia del pecado y del mal en el mundo. Por ejemplo, más de la mitad de la población mundial pasa hambre y está explotada; el mundo de la economía se ha ido fuera de control a pesar de las donaciones para la ayuda al desarrollo, y naciones enteras no son libres por causas y situaciones interiores o exteriores.

Y en nuestros propios pequeños mundos personales hay pertinaz egoísmo, soberbia a costa de los otros, sospecha, y mucho más … Mientras condenamos los pecados de la sociedad, no perdamos en el proceso nuestro sentido personal del pecado. No olvidemos nuestra solidaridad en el pecado, pero al mismo tiempo vivamos mejor nuestra solidaridad de amor y vida motivadas por Jesús. 

Lo lamentamos, y en nuestros mejores momentos realmente no lo queremos, pero el pecado siempre vuelve. Que Dios tenga misericordia de nosotros y nos otorgue su eficaz ayuda.