17 June 2024 - Monday of the 11th week, even-numbered year
1 Kings 21:1-16; Matthew 5:38-42
Turn the other cheek
This Gospel passage brings to mind a scene from the life of Mahatma Gandhi. The event took place towards the end of Gandhi's life. India had just gained its independence, but it was already divided into two countries: India itself, a Hindu country, and Pakistan, a Muslim country; and a civil war was raging in the main cities between Muslims and Hindus. Gandhi began a fast, deciding not to eat anything until peace was restored between the two factions. It was then that a man of Hindu faith came to Gandhi. He was desperate, convinced that he would be damned forever because he had killed a Muslim child. He had killed him in revenge because Muslims had killed his own child. Gandhi then told him what he had to do to avoid damnation. Go," he said, "find a child of the same age as the one you lost, adopt him and bring him up as your own child. But above all, take care to choose a Muslim child and bring him up as a good Muslim.