tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736427810720155529.post2135452804237651379..comments2023-08-09T07:48:53.962-04:00Comments on Bear Witness to the Light: I Am The Good Shepherd. I Know Mine, And Mine Know Me.Fr. John L. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16167510362871783781noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736427810720155529.post-23491580820864248732011-05-16T04:13:11.202-04:002011-05-16T04:13:11.202-04:00‘What God has made clean,
you are not to call pro...‘What God has made clean, <br />you are not to call profane.’ <br /><br />When I started primary school, my classmates pointed out to me a girl who had 'fleas'. If any of us accidentally touched her, we had to blow off the 'fleas', otherwise we too ran the risk of being ostracized because her 'fleas' were so contagious. I'm still ashamed of this.<br /><br />I thought all that cruel stupidity was strictly for infants school, until I read the story of Asia Bibi in Pakistan. Her colleagues did not want her, a non-Muslim, to bring their food, calling her unclean. She apparently retorted: "Jesus died to make me clean. What did Mohammed do for you?" <br /><br />Rather than answer this valid theological question, her tormentors have had her convicted of blasphemy against Mohammed and she currently awaits her execution.<br /><br />I expect that questions of uncleanness were taken just as seriously by the Jewish community at the time of Our Lord. Someone might even have accused St Peter of teaching disrespect for Moses, like Asia Bibi with regard to Mohammed.<br /><br />It's thanks to Jesus that 'uncleanness' seems so ridiculous to people living in Christianized societies. He died to make us clean. 'The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.'Sarah in the tenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14652265020101487633noreply@blogger.com