The Power of Memory (Friday, Week 19, Year 2, Maximilian Kolbe, Aug. 14)

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Memory plays a very powerful role in our choice-making, growth and development. Sometimes, in order to help, inspire or spur people to take a particular line of action or form good character, they are reminded of what happened in the past or of how it was in the past or in the beginning. The past or the beginning often serves as a reference point; and memory helps us link with that reference point (i.e. the past or the beginning). Memory helps us connect with the past/beginning so that the right things can be done; so that we don’t repeat mistakes; so that we can be properly directed.

What we have in Ezekiel 16:1-15.60.63 is a good example of a power of memory: with the aid of hindsight, the rebellious people of Israel and Judah were reminded of the great love of God from the beginning. They were helped to remember how God picked them up from the dungeon of nothingness and made them “somebody”; they were reminded of how He nursed and nurtured them and helped them to grow into a beautiful people admired by other nations; etc. Having become exceedingly beautiful, they forgot the God who made them beautiful and began to play the harlot (worshipping other gods). Towards the end of this passage from Ezekiel, the people of Israel and Judah were called to “remember” and never forget how good God has been to them. Of course, such memory should help them become more faithful to God.
In the gospel reading, when there was a growing confusion about divorce, Jesus made an appeal to memory: and helped those confused Jews to remember how it was in the past/beginning; that “from the beginning, God made them male and female; … and for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife; and the TWO shall become ONE. So they are no longer two but one. What therefore GOD HAS JOINED TOGETHER, LET NO MAN PUT ASUNDER”. A powerful appeal to memory!

If we can always remember how it was from the beginning, how it happened in the past, how it was arranged from DAY ONE, we won’t make too many mistakes. If there is confusion as to how to use your mobile device, make reference to the user’s manual so that you can learn how it was built from the beginning and then know how it should be properly used. Things have fallen apart: marriages are in shambles; families are broken; governments are confused; economies are crumbling; and so on because there is little or no reference to the past: people can hardly remember the good old days, how it all started, how things were better done in the past, how things were built up; and so on. We sin and continue to sin because we hardly remember that we were made in the image of God who loves us; we hardly remember this great love of God for us and how far He has continued to lead us.

We celebrate St Maximilian Kolbe, a polish priest who in response to the love of God for him, made a heroic sacrifice of choosing to die in place of a condemned married man with a family. He was a man who never forgot that God has done so much for him than he (Maximilian) could ever do for other people. And that is why he reciprocated God’s love by sacrificing himself for the sake of the married man (in the Auschwitz Nazi Concentration camp) in response to what God has done for him. The power of memory! Let us be motivated by his example and always remember that we ought to reciprocate the loving kindness of God in living more righteously and in showing loving concern to others. 
            

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