Prudently Working for Justice

Mt 12:14-21

The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.
When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place.
Many people followed him, and he cured them all,
but he warned them not to make him known.

This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet:
Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved in whom I delight;
I shall place my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
He will not contend or cry out,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break,
a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory.
And in his name the Gentiles will hope.

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"He will not contend or cry out,nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets."

I grew up in a suburb of Manila while being exposed to the marketplace where followers of a certain fundamentalist sect would preach about the Bible.

Even when our family had to move to the northern province of Pangasinan in my second grade, the sight of a fired-up evangelist boarding the buses and proclaiming God's word did not escape me.

I have nothing against these people who seem to be greatly motivated to carry out the mission of brining God's word to others. In fact, their zeal is even quite inspiring. However, as author Bo Sanchez once noted, their zeal can be compared to how sharks capture their prey: powerful, but very aggressive.

The Gospel for today makes it clear that God may have intended His Messenger, His Son, to proclaim His justice prudently. With how Jesus departed the place after hearing word of the Pharisees' plot to kill him, this reminds us how today's Gospel highlights the virtue of prudence in serving God. Martyrdom is honorable, but it can wait according to God's plans.

Today's Gospel also speaks of how justice must be worked for in today's society: by alleviating the plight of the poor, serving the sick and offering one's whole self for the service of others. God has given us different capabilities to do these things. We have been given talents. This again reminds us of the Parable of the Talents--how are we to use the talents given by God? Are we to use them, or just bury them on the ground?

How do we offer our lives for the sake of justice? In what way is God calling us to do this?

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Saint Francis Xavier, pray for us.

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photo credits: http://www.ordination.org/Pharisees.jpg, http://lelechicon3hk.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/Manila,_street_market.224210237_std.jpg