ARE CURSES EFFICACIOUS? Fr VARGHESE PARAPPURAM V C "GIVE NO REASON TO CURSE YOU; FOR IF IN BITTERNESS OF SOUL SOME SHOULD CURSE YOU, THEIR CREATOR WILL HEAR THEIR PRAYER"( SIR4: 5- 6).

CASE STUDIES:

William is a businessman. He tried his hand at different enterprises after he entered this field of business on the completion of his studies. But he was an utter failure. He incurred loss after loss as if he were under a curse. There was some reason for his suspicion. William's father was given to a life of debauchery. Alcoholism, licentiousness and picking quarrels were his pet vices. In the bargain, he had harmed a number of innocent people. Has the curse of some such poor man, who suffered at the hands of his father, now dead for the last five years, affected William? Is that why he cannot prosper? This doubt keeps haunting him.

Suresh is a young married man with a wife and two children. From the time he got married he was a victim to a series of disasters. There was not a day when either he or some other member of the household was free from illness. Since all kinds of treatment were of no avail, Suresh succumbed to a nagging suspicion. He had been very friendly with a girl before his marriage and had promised to marry her. But circumstances forced him to desert her and marry another. Did that poor girl who was given false hopes, curse him? Is that why his family is harassed by continual ailments? Suresh is disturbed.

Joshi is the conductor of a private bus. Besides his parents, brothers and sisters, there is an old spinster aunt staying with him. His mother and aunt are often at loggerheads with each other. In her temper tantrums the aunt flings insults at his mother with little thought of the consequences. On one occasion, seeing his mother being treated unjustly, Joshi came to her defence. "I have no one. You are speaking against me. You will be run over by a bus," shouted the aunt, piling curses on Joshi. From that time onwards, Joshi has been uneasy and afraid while on duty in a running bus. Will the aunt's words prove true? Though his reason tells him it is a baseless fear, his mind is out of control.

When we read about such instances, a doubt arises in our minds: Are curses efficacious? Let us try to find an answer to this nagging question through the words of the Holy Bible.

GOD'S BLESSING AND HIS CURSE

It is God's blessing and his curse that are all important. There are references to this effect in the Scriptures. God places his blessing and his curse before man and invites him to choose his blessing.

"See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn from the way that I am commanding you today, to follow other gods that you have not known"( Deut 11: 26- 28).

"For those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off" (Ps37: 22).

The greatest curse that can befall man is to disobey God's commandments- that is, to choose evil and death. On the contrary, those who obey God's commandments, choose life and goodness (cf Deut 30; 15- 20). Cain, who murdered his brother Abel, was cursed because he disobeyed God's commandment (cf Gen 4: 11).

CURSES THAT ARE EFFICACIOUS AND CURSES THAT ARE INEFFICACIOUS

There is nothing to be afraid of when someone utters cursing words. They will not be operative. Those who are blessed by God will not be harmed by any curse. What is important is to have God's blessing. Balak tried to persuade Balaam to curse Israel. But Balaam said:
"How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced?"( Num 23: 8).

No witchcraft, or curse or charm will affect those who obey God's commandments. "Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel"( Num 23: 23).

Nevertheless, there are curses that are efficacious . To condemn and persecute innocent people is a naked transgression of God's commandment. Such people will surely be affected by curses. "Do not rob the poor because they are poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate; for the Lord pleads their cause and despoils of life those who despoil them"( Prov 22: 22- 23).

It is so because "those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but those who are kind to the needy honour him"( Prov 14: 31).

Through the prophet Elijah, God spoke to King Ahab who craftily appropriated the vineyard of Naboth, an ordinary man: "In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, dogs will also lick up your blood"( 1King 21: 19). This prophecy was fulfilled to the letter( cf 1 Kings 37: 38).

The Bible says that the blessing of parents is very important.

"For a father's blessing strengthens the house of the children, but a mother's curse uproots their foundations" (Sir 3: 9).

Bless and do not curse

Some people utter a number of cursing words unthinkingly when they are provoked. Though they utter such curses, they may not desire that it should happen accordingly. Whether they truly mean them or not, such curses cause a great deal of disturbance in the minds of the listeners. It is worse still if the listeners have a delicate and unsteady mind.

Therefore, the Lord himself has prohibited uttering cursing words even when provoked to anger. "Let your word be 'Yes, Yes or No, No'; anything more than this comes from the evil one"( Mt 5: 37). St Paul advises us not to curse even enemies. "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them"( Rom 12: 14).

In the light of this explanation we can come to the following conclusions:

1. If we live, honouring and obeying God's commandments as much as possible, we need not fear whoever may curse us or however many curses he may utter against us. Those curses will not have any effect whatsoever.

2. All the same, harming an innocent person and being cursed by him is dangerous. The curses arising from a broken heart will be efficacious.

3. If we or our parents have seriously harmed others, we need to make reparation for it. There are no limits to God's mercy. Still, we need to prove that repentance is genuine through acts of charity like almsgiving.

4. We should try to make our own the Christian principle of blessing and not cursing those who have harmed us.

"FOR THOSE BLESSED BY THE LORD SHALL INHERIT THE LAND, BUT THOSE CURSED BY HIM SHALL BE CUT OFF"( PS 37: 22).

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