First reading Deuteronomy 26:16-19
You will be a people consecrated to the Lord
Moses said to the people: ‘The Lord your God today commands you to observe these laws and customs; you must keep and observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.
‘You have today made this declaration about the Lord: that he will be your God, but only if you follow his ways, keep his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and listen to his voice. And the Lord has today made this declaration about you: that you will be his very own people as he promised you, but only if you keep all his commandments; then for praise and renown and honour he will set you high above all the nations he has made, and you will be a people consecrated to the Lord, as he promised.’
Responsorial Psalm 118(119):1-2,4-5,7-8
They are happy who follow God’s law!
They are happy whose life is blameless,
who follow God’s law!
They are happy who do his will,
seeking him with all their hearts.
They are happy who follow God’s law!
You have laid down your precepts
to be obeyed with care.
May my footsteps be firm
to obey your statutes.
They are happy who follow God’s law!
I will thank you with an upright heart
as I learn your decrees.
I will obey your statutes;
do not forsake me.
They are happy who follow God’s law!
Gospel Acclamation cf.Lk8:15
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Blessed are those who,
with a noble and generous heart,
take the word of God to themselves
and yield a harvest through their perseverance.
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Or: 2Co6:2
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Now is the favourable time:
this is the day of salvation.
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Gospel Matthew 5:43-48
Pray for those who persecute you
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have learnt how it was said: You must love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike. For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’
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Loving with God’s merciful love
“You must therefore be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect”. To be perfect like God implies loving others, including our enemies, with God’s merciful love. God loves each person equally, even the ones we might look upon as enemies and sinners. Thus, as His children, we should also love in the same way. We struggle with this hard teaching because we find it humanly impossible to love our enemies and pray for those who want to hurt us or those we see as morally bad. Our human tendency is to limit our love to those who love and appreciate us.
Yet, Jesus knows that we do have the capacity to stretch our hearts wide to have room for the enemy as much as the friend. Thus, He continues to invite us to be places where all can find and encounter God’s merciful love. Today, He gives us His Holy Spirit to transform our hearts of stone into hearts that love and who guides us to live our lives as God’s children.
Question for reflection:
What prevents me from loving those who I consider unloveable?
What prevents me from loving those who I consider unloveable?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Sandra Seow FMVD.
