12th Tuesday in Ordinary Time – Matthew 7:6, 12-14
In today’s Gospel, Jesus uses an image that most of us may never have used in our lives. Jesus tells his disciples, “Do not give to dogs what is holy. And do not throw your pearls before swine.” Jesus cautions his disciples that “the dogs and swine” may turn on you and perhaps they even may tear you to pieces.
Jesus then moves into a more positive message. He instructs his disciples to treat others as they want others to treat them. Jesus’ teaching correlates with the familiar saying: “Do unto others as you want them to do to you.” However, this is not always as simple as it sounds. Think of someone who ignores you or a person who criticizes you. Or it may be a person you don’t like. Perhaps it is someone who gets on your nerves or desires more from you than you wish to give.
Today Jesus has a countercultural message for our world: treat others as you desire to be treated. Ask yourself: how do you want others to treat you: with sincere respect, acknowledgment and interest? This may sound easy but it often is not as easy as it seems. It seems like our world turns and moves at a fast pace. People have places to go and people to see. As a consequence of the fast pace of life, we may lose some of our care and attention for one another. And what a loss this would be!
Today I invite you to truly be present to the people you encounter. It may be that you only have a minute but you can make the most of that minute. You never know: it may not only make the other person’s day, it also may make your day! That is what Jesus would do! What will we do?
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