Agents of curses or agents of blessings?

Many a time I used to think that curses and blessings were simply put on individuals by the Evil One or God. But hardly did I ever realise that ultimately it rests solely on the person’s responsiblity if s/he accepts to be a curse or a blessing to those around him/her.

A prayer meeting I attended a few days ago, organised by the Catholic Revival Movement, deeply hammered this solid teaching within my heart.

The Bible does not tire in challenging us to face our reality by offering us a crucial choice to undertake; either chosing to become a blessing or a curse.

In the book of Deuteronomy such a choice is starkly presented in black and white together with its fateful or blissful ramifications. “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day, and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods which you have not known” (Deut 11, 26-28).

The vital or tragic choice centres on the object of worship by the subject, that is if one worships the infinite Creator one is blessed whereas if one opts for finite creatures one is cursed by his/her own decision.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul explains how, through “the works of the flesh” (Gal 5, 19) a person becomes a curse personally as well as agent of negativity for others.

Whoever wilfully engages in acts of “fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like” (Gal 5, 19-21) negatively influences and leads astray himself/herself as well as other people from God and themselves. Contrarily, when a person embraces “the fruit of the Spirit, [that] is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal 5, 22-23) it becomes a personal and a collective blessing.

In Pope John Paul II’s understanding, to be an agent of blessing simply means to love others by Christ’s standards, as he powerfully portrayed in the homily he delivered in Singapore, on November 20, 1986.

“Love constitutes the very essence of the teaching of Christ, for it is the greatest commandment. Life – the lives of all of us – must be based on love. St Paul demonstrates this to us in a practical way in the instructions contained in today’s second reading taken from the Letter to the Romans: “Do not let your love be a pretence,” he says, “but sincerely prefer good to evil. Love each other as much as brothers should, and have a profound respect for each other.” Genuine human love is a faithful reflection of God’s love.

Therefore love is characterised by a deep respect for all people, regardless of their race, belief or whatever makes them different from ourselves.

Love responds generously to the needs of the poor, and it is marked by compassion for those in sorrow.

Love is quick to offer hospitality and is persevering in times of trial. It is always ready to forgive, to hope and to return a blessing for a curse. ‘Love does not come to an end.’ (§ 5).

If we want to have a better spiritual and social milieu in our islands let us be agents of blessings, precisely by the way we behave with God as present in the persons we come encounter on a daily basis!