A New Way of Living

Jesus told his disciples, "If you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, show the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give what you have to anyone who asks for it; and when they are taken away from you, don't try to get them back. Do for others you would like them to do for you.

Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. Stop criticizing others, or it will all come back on you. If you forgive others, you will be forgiven. If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving - large or small - it will be used to measure what is given back to you.

A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. A tree is identified by the kind of fruit it produces. A good person produces good deeds from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil deeds from an evil heart. Whatever is in your heart determines, what you say.

From the leaflet published during the ‘Candle Lighting Service’ on April 4, 2003 by the Lady Doak College, Madurai. My grateful thanks to the college.