February 23, 2020
In the first reading written after the Exile in Babylon (500) BC, the people were asked to reflect on what it was to be holy.
While they had been in exile, many had given up on God and had taken on the gods and the life style of the pagans.
That can, at times, also be our situation in the pagan world of today.
God's people were reminded that Moses has told them that they were all called to be holy as God is holy and to love the other.
That reminder given by Moses was not just for the ancients, but is for every generation, even for each of us today.
St. Paul writes to the community in Corinth, where many divisions and conflicts were taking place.
He reminds them that in Baptism they were made temples or dwelling places for God. As the dwelling place of God they were to make God present in the world to all they encountered.
That message is for each of us today,
as baptized and chosen by God.
But how do we make God present in our world today?
In the Gospel we are given the answer.
It is given by the life of Jesus and is told by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.
Here are some reminders of what He said and what we are to do....
All of the above, at times, may seem impossible.
But...
...this is the love Jesus is talking about;
wishing the well being of the other,
even the one who hurts us.
It is an unconditional wish for the well being of the other, no matter who they are or what they have done.
It means being the first to forgive and to forget.
Jesus us gives us the example.
It is something that does seem impossible, and yet we know that is what we are called to do.
It is how we make the love, mercy, and compassion present in today's world.
We can deny that this is the call for each of us, or we can escape the call by saying that we love everyone and do not have enemies.
What a lie!
Enemies are a gift from God.
They help us to see the need for our own conversion of heart.
Don't be afraid to realize that even the ones we know and love can be the enemy at times.
It is in the conflicts, misunderstandings, disagreements, etc. in our lives, that we can see we do not have that love for the enemy.
Enemies help us to see that we still need to continue to pray for that gift of love, even to the enemy, even to the one we struggle with, even to the once who does not deserve mercy.
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