Gospel – Luke ch 6: v27-38
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘But I say this to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly. To the person who slaps you on one cheek, present the other cheek too; to the person who takes your cloak from you, do not refuse your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your property back from the person who robs you. Treat others as you would like them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount. Instead, love your enemies and do good, and lend without any hope of return. You will have a great reward, and you will be sons and daughters of the Highest, for He himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. ‘Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves: grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
GUIDELINES TO HELP US TO MEDITATE ON THE PASSAGE SO AS TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE GOD’S PRESENCE AND ACTIVITY IN OUR LIVES AND WORLD TODAY.
Love your enemies’
Recall a time when you carried a grudge against someone who had offended you. Remember how you nursed the grudge and it grew bigger and heavier until it weighted you down. Who came to your help, like Jesus, and advised you to choose to drop it and to pray for the grace of healing forgiveness and love?
Thank you, O Lord, for challenging each of us to love beyond ourselves.
Thank you, O Lord, for people like Gordon Wilson, Nelson Mandela, Edith Stein who, each like Jesus, have lived this difficult way of Love. Lord forgive us when we fall short in our Love of others.
O Lord Jesus please help each one of us to become the people of our time and culture who try to live and pray this challenging way of Love.