Feast of St. James the Apostle (25th July 2023)

 

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For the times we have been less effective in our baptism of glory with you, Lord, have mercy...
For the times we have been less effective in our baptism of pain and blood in day-to-day life, Christ, have mercy…
For the times we have been less effective in our baptism of humble service with and for others, Lord, have mercy…

Reading 1, 2nd Corinthians 4:7-15

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6

Gospel, Matthew 20:20-28

My dear sisters and brothers, 

Today, we celebrate the feast of St. James, also known as James the Greater, who was among the inner circle of Jesus' disciples, along with his brother John and Simon Peter. 

 

James and his brother John, the evangelist, had a similar calling like Peter in the Sea of Galilee while they were mending their fishing nets with their father. 

 

At the beginning of his journey with Jesus, James and his brother John were known as the "Sons of Thunder," reflecting their impulsive and fiery natures or temperaments. But through their companionship with Jesus, they learned to channel their energy into love and service. 

 

It is in this inner journey of transformation, we read the Gospel text of today, where his mother comes to Jesus asking a favor to be granted to them: "Allow my two sons to sit at your right and at your left". 

Jesus realizing the gravity of this request, poses a question back to these two brothers, almost as a way of testing their fidelity. "Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?" 

 

My dear sisters and brothers, James and his brother John not only replied ‘Yes, Lord, we can’ verbally… But they exemplified it and concretized their ‘Yes Lord’ in their very actions and in their very being as well... 

 

They were two of the three privileged disciples who accompanied Jesus at his transfiguration on the mountain of Tabor, at his agony in the garden of Gethsemane, and at his miracles such as raising Jairus’ daughter to life… In other words, they were with Jesus, they were accompanying Jesus, and they were witnessing to Jesus, in his baptism of glory, in his baptism of blood, and in his baptism of humble and tireless service….

 

Not only that, after the death and resurrection of Jesus, St. James kept up to these three baptisms that he received so fervently from Jesus in him that he went around the world preaching the Good News fearlessly like St. Paul. Consequently, as the Acts of the Apostles reminds us and the first reading of today elaborates, he did drink the cup of agony and blood that Jesus drank by apparently being the first apostle to be martyred. 

 

As we celebrate the feast of St. James, it reminds us that no matter what our shortcomings or flaws are, but when we open our hearts to Christ, He can mold us into instruments of His grace.

 

In that transformative love of Christ, in that example of St. James, let us ask ourselves, as those who are baptized in Christ to be followers of him, how tempered or effective or transformed am I in my baptism of glory in life, in my baptism of pain and suffering in life, and in my baptism of love and humble service for one another in life? 

 

 

What is Your Tale of Two Cities in Life? Tuesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time

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For the times we have failed to recognize your mighty works in us, Lord, have mercy...
For the time we have failed to recognize your mighty works around us, Christ, have mercy...
In so doing, for the times we have failed to respond to you in repentance, Lord, have mercy...

Reading 1, Exodus 2:1-15

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 69:3, 14, 30-31, 33-34

Gospel, Matthew 11:20-24

What is Your Tale of Two Cities in Life? 

Perhaps we all have read the historical novel, "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens, first published in 1859. Set in both London and Paris before and during the French Revolution, the novel tells us the story of various characters whose lives are intertwined during this tumultuous period in history by delving into themes of sacrifice, resurrection, and the struggle for justice and redemption.

Likewise, in today's gospel text, our lord has 'A tale', "A tale of two cities". And he makes explicit reference to 6 cities apparently divided into two distinct groups…

On the one hand, there are three of them, namely Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum which were blessed to have had the experience of the presence of the Son of God among them. These ancient cities have witnessed the mighty deeds of Christ, they had witnessed His miracles, and His compassion, and heard His teachings that offered hope, healing, and salvation.

On the other hand, there are the other three cities, namely Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom which were notorious for their wickedness and which have not had the experience of the mighty power of the Son of Man through his miracles, teaching, preaching, and healing…

However, even though one group has had the experience of the mighty works of Christ and the other group was devoid of it, these two camps become one in one aspect…that is, in terms of their unresponsiveness and unrepentance...And for our lord, it was worse for the first camp, because despite these divine manifestations, those cities remained unresponsive and unrepentant.

And that wasn't so tolerated by our Lord… And he was compelled to pronounce his woes against these cities…

The message for us today is just as relevant as it was for those ancient cities. Jesus' words challenge us to examine our own hearts and attitudes toward Him. It is because these two types of cities are in us and are still operative in and around us… These two groups of cities are still at war within and outside of us…

Are we truly responsive to His working power in and around us? Are we open to repentance and transformation, or are we complacent and indifferent to His teachings?

Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" begins with the famous opening line, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"

Having had the experience of Christ in his living Word, having experienced his mighty deeds in and around us in our lives, therefore, let us ask ourselves, what would be the city that I want to belong more from today?

And in responding to that belonging, how would I begin my tale of two cities in and around me? Will I begin by saying, "It was the worst of times?” or will I begin by saying “It was the best of times"?

Sowing and Reaping, Actions and Consequences... 15th Sunday in Oridinary Time (16th July 2023)

 

Though we have eyes, for the times we have failed to see you, Lord have mercy...
Though we could hear, for the times we have failed to listen to you, Christ, have mercy...
In so doing, for the times we have failed to bear much fruit in you, Lord have mercy...

Reading 1, Isaiah 55:10-11

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14

Gospel, Matthew 13:1-23

Reading 2, Romans 8:18-23

Sowing and Reaping, Actions and Consequences

If there was a day that I would prefer skipping the homily during the Mass, today would have been one of those days – for two reasons:

First, it is because, in the gospel text we have just heard, Jesus not only speaks of a parable, the famous Parable of the Sower, but he also explains it to his disciples in black and white. In other words, Jesus himself gives a homily on the parable that he has just spoken of.

So, if I am going to talk about something about the parable or Jesus’ own explanation of the parable, I am afraid that what I am going to do is nothing but explain what is already explained by Jesus, and I am not even sure that I would do a better job than Jesus.

Secondly, coming from an agrarian culture, and being born and raised in an agricultural environment, I do not think it is difficult for you to understand the crux of the readings today…

If we summarize all the readings of this Sunday, we might want to remember these few words: parable, sower, seeds, and different types of ground on which the seeds are fallen; and I am sure none of these words are foreign to us.

Nevertheless, I should say something. What should I say then?

Now, it is interesting to notice that the parable takes an abrupt twist from its beginning to the middle, and from the middle to its end.

In the beginning, it is the sower who takes precedence, as the parable begins by saying “A sower went out to sow…”

However, even though the parable is titled “The Parable of the Sower”, and even though it begins with the word “sower”, the word “sower” appears only twice in the entire discourse: once right at the very start of the parable and then at the beginning of Jesus’ explanation of it..

And that’s it.. Since then, the word ‘sower’ does not appear at all… Instead, what takes center stage is the word ‘seed’… And the word ‘seed’ or any reference to it is mentioned 8 times in the entire discourse.

For example, “Some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up; Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up at once because there was no depth of earth; Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them; Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

Then, as much as the seeds are given importance in the parable, equal or even more emphasis is given to the ground on which they are fallen. It is because the seeds and the grounds are intrinsically connected, and Jesus speaks of this fundamental connection in one phrase as follows: “Anyone who has eyes should see and anyone who has ears should listen”.

Put together, my dear sister and brothers, there are at least 4 types of soil in which the seed falls, it is LOST in three types (rocky, thorny, and shallow ground) and bears fruit in only one type (fertile). This indicates that while three-quarters of the effort are lost, only a quarter is the gain.

However, the focus of the parable is not on the loss but on the gain that is yielded by that one-quarter. The parable is pointing out the fact that this is how life often is. Three-quarters of our efforts are often wasted and it is possible that when this happens we may give in to despair. However, we are called to focus not on the majority of loss, but on that one-quarter of our effort which indeed brings fruit.

In other words, if we take the Sower to be Jesus Christ; Seeds to be his word; and the fields on which seeds are fallen to be ourselves (or our hearts), any ground which is receptive of the word of God, fertile, processing and yielding, will bear much fruit.

If we think deeply, isn’t this dynamic relationship that has ever existed in the economy/history of God’s salvation, that is among the sower (God the Father), the seeds (the son/the word of God), and the grounds (ourselves)? Doesn’t it hold true for our faith journey even to this day as well?

To give a gist, it was God who created us and everything around us, just by his word. But, on the way, we have not been so receptive of his word, we didn’t see him well, we didn’t hear him well, and so we have not been so fertile, we have not been so reflective of the ways we could be better effective and, thus, we have been yielding differing fruits.

Then, just as the sower disappears from the parable scene right after the beginning, when the time came, God, the sower, scattered his precious seed, the Word, the Word became flesh, Jesus Christ in the fields of our hearts.. But, again, we have been receptive of neither him nor his word: we didn’t see him well, we didn’t hear him well, we scorched him, we suffocate him, we made him suffer and die, and in so doing we have not been so fertile, we have not been so reflective of the ways we could be better effective and, thus, we have been yielding differing fruits.

And then, he left us with his Word, the living word of God, and the paraclete, the Holy Spirit… Since then, just as the seed and the ground take precedence in the parable, it is with us too even today, the word of God is scattered in our hearts even at this very moment in history, giving importance to God’s words and our hearts…  

So what matters today, is how we bear fruit in our own soil through the help of the Holy Spirit…

Do I usually focus more on the reaping than on the sowing? Do I focus more on the result than on the action? How do I react when most of my effort seems to be in vain? Do I throw up my hands in despair? Do I get despondent? Or do I carry on with perseverance?  What are my efforts today to make my ground more receptive, fertile, processing, and yielding?

 

Praises and Criticisms, Roses and Crosses... Tuesday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time (11th July 2023)

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For the times we have failed to realize the miracles in our lives, Lord, have mercy...

For the times we have failed to acknowledge the miracles in others' lives, Christ, have mercy...

Having failed to do so, for the times we lacked faith in you, Lord, have mercy...

 

Reading 1, Genesis 32:23-33

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 17:1, 2-3, 6-7, 8, 15

Gospel, Matthew 9:32-38

Praises and Criticisms, Roses and Crosses

The gospel text of today is taken from the Gospel of Matthew, and chapters 8 and 9 of the Gospel of Matthew are known as Matthew’s ‘miracle cycle’. 

Our text for today includes the final miracle in Matthew’s Miracle Cycle, which is Jesus’ healing of the deaf-mute. 

One of the things that is interesting to observe in all of these miracles, including that which we contemplate today, is the response that Jesus receives as a result of his performing miracles. 

At least they are two-fold. On the one hand, the crowd seeing the miracle are amazed, speak of their amazement, attribute the power of Jesus to God, and come to believe in him.

But on the other, the Scribes and Pharisees’, are slow to believe, amazed do not want to show it, attribute Jesus’ power to the power of Beelzebul, the prince of death, and try to find faults in him so that he could be judged and condemned. 

You see, the same action of Jesus, the very same stimulus, evokes two different responses in the receiver.

Now who is right? Who is wrong? 

Who am I to judge? Perhaps both parties are right. And Both parties are equally wrong. It is because, they responded to this stimulus with the information they had known, the knowledge they had acquired, their belief, the background they were coming from, etc. 

But what is more interesting here is the response of Jesus. He is not elated by the praises that he receives from the crowd nor he is feeling dependent on the criticism he receives from the scribes and Pharisees.

Jesus receives both praises and criticisms with equanimity, or in other words, as St. Ignatius would say, with indifference. Without being attached to any, neither feeling over the moon by the criticisms and taking glory to himself for the performance he has just had nor feeling drained off or put down by the negativity around him. 

Rather, Jesus’ response was very clear. Knowing well who is he, with his mind fixed on his mission, and the will of the one who sent him, Matthew puts it beautifully as follows: 

This summary statement of Jesus’ response in words and deeds, is very similar to the summary statement in Mat. 4,23 before the Sermon on the Mount. By repeating the summary statement here after the Miracle Cycle, Matthew shows that Jesus is Messiah not only in words (as expressed in the Sermon on the Mount) but also in deeds (as explicated in the Miracle Cycle).

Having been called to follow the same Master, today, as it was in Jesus’ time, the harvest is plenty. And we are his laborers. In our own way of laboring for God and his vineyard, let us ask ourselves, how do I respond to praises and criticism that are part and parcel of my life as a laborer? 

What is my attitude toward praises and criticisms in life? How do I look at them? How do I take them?  How do I let them affect my life? How do I look at the glass of water of praises and criticisms, as half filled or half empty? 

What is it that motivates me and keeps me moving forward in saying and doing what say and do? Is it criticism or praise or the passion to do the will of God like Jesus? 

 

Losing in Him We Find Ourselves... 13th Sunday in the Ordinary Time (2nd June 2023)

For the times we have failed to renounce material things, places, and people for the sake of your mission, Lord, have mercy...

Having renounced, for the times we have grumbled while doing your mission, Christ, have mercy...

For the times we have failed to realize the difference between possessing things and giving them up for your mission, Christ, have mercy...

Reading 1, Second Kings 4:8-11, 14-16

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 89:2-3, 16-17, 18-19

Gospel, Matthew 10:37-42

Reading 2, Romans 6:3-4, 8-11 

Losing in Him We Find Ourselves...

There was a story of a disciple who wanted to renounce the world so much but found it difficult to do so because his family loved him too much to let him go. 

So, upon confessing this to his spiritual master, his spiritual guru comes up with what is known as a yogic secret.

That is, he teaches his disciple to stimulate ‘the state of death’. And when one is in the state of death as in the case of coma, he or she appears dead outwardly… 

So, the disciple does as he was trained and the entire household turns into a funeral with cries and wailing in the family.

The guru then showed up and tells the weeping family that he had the power to bring the man back to life if someone could be found to die in his place. 

And there, to the astonishment of the one who is apparently dead, every member of the family from the eldest to the youngest starts giving reasons to say why it was necessary to save his or her life.

And finally, it is his wife who sums up the sentiments of all saying, “Master, there’s really no need for anyone to take his place. We’ll manage without him”.

*************

The gospel text of today is taken from chapter 10 of the Gospel of Matthew which is also known as the Mission Discourse.

In these 42 verses of chapter 10 of Saint Matthew, we find that Jesus chooses his disciples, names them one by one, and then he sends them on a mission. 

While this mission that Jesus gives them is both spiritual and practical (contemplative and apostolic), the instruction that Jesus gives them when missioning them gives us an idea of the means through which Jesus wants the disciples to fulfill his mission. And it could be said in a word as ‘renunciation’. 

And accordingly, the disciples are called to be detached in three ways: Firstly, it is the detachment from material things, as Jesus says do not take any bag, or money, or a staff, or extra pair of sandals. Secondly, it is the detachment from places as Jesus’ instructions enable them not to choose where to go and where not to do. The disciples are supposed to go to places they liked as well as they did not like; where they were accepted as well as where they were rejected. Finally, it is the detachment from persons, and Jesus says, as we find it in the Gospel text of today, whoever loves his father or mother or son or daughter (spouse or anybody else) more than Jesus himself does not fit to be his disciple.

This means that discipleship is a difficult one because one has to choose between family and mission, or between one’s liking and mission, or between one’s loyalty to self or anyone or anything and loyalty to Jesus. 

In other words, while it is true that we need to be fed, we need to be clothed, and we need to rest and relax,  what Jesus wants us is to acknowledge that it is not primary. Instead, what is primary for a disciple is fidelity and legion to the Lord and to live in the province of God.

It is in this renunciation that a disciple receives his/her authority. This authority that a disciple, that the one who is sent receives is the same authority of the sender himself, the authority of Jesus himself who send them. And that is why Jesus says that anyone who welcomes you welcomes me and anyone who rejects you rejects the one who sent me; that is why Jesus says, whatever you bind on earth is considered bound in heaven and whatever you lose on earth is considered loosed in heaven.

As Christians, as followers of Christ, as disciples of Jesus, we must keep in mind that the only Christ that people can see and touch today is the Christ that we make known to the world through our own words and actions as disciples and followers of Christ. 

In other words, by the way I live, by the way I work, by the way I work, walk, talk, and carry my being, people should be able to ask “Who are you that you say and do these things, and that you do them in this way?” 

While this is not an easy task, being a part of Jesus’ mission as Christians and followers of Christ provides us with an enormous privilege and tremendous responsibility.

As Elisha whom we find in the first reading today, such responsibility and such privilege demands that we be generous and magnanimous in our response to Christ, in our total giving as well as giving up for Christ, by withholding nothing and expecting absolutely nothing in return.

What is your degree of discipleship today? What is that thing, place, or person that withholds you from responding totally to the mission of Christ? 

What do you do about it today? How renounced can you be to receive the authority of Christ himself?

How carefully and responsibly do you practice your authority in life, work, your relationship with one another (your source, children, parents, in-laws, with neighbors), and with nature today, so that whatever you bind on earth is considered bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth is considered loosed in heaven?

Feast of Sts. Peter & Paul (29th June 2023)

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For the times we have failed to know you intimately, Lord, have mercy...

Having failed to know you intimately, for the times we have failed to love you ardently, Christ, have mercy...

Having failed to love you ardently, for the times we have failed to follow you very closely, Lord, have mercy...

Reading 1, Acts 12:1-11

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

Gospel, Matthew 16:13-19

Reading 2, Second Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18

My dear sisters and brothers,

In his spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits makes it clear the aim of the Spiritual Exercises.

In the Sp. Ex. #104 he writes: Grace to be obtained is to know Christ intimately, so that I may love him ardently, and follow him very closely.

So my actual response (bodily/physical) response to Christ is preceded by my emotional (heart) response which is originated by my personal knowledge (head) of the person of Christ… 

Today, as we celebrate the feast of the Saints Peter and Paul, we have two stalwarts before us who have had a very personal knowledge of the person of Christ and as a result, had loved him so ardently and followed him very closely all throughout their lives in all they were and did……

Speaking of Peter, he knew the person of Christ all throughout his life as a disciple…. It is right enough, in the Gospel text of today, Jesus inquires his disciples about their knowledge of him by asking the question, “But, you, who do you say that I am?” In answering Jesus’ question, it was Peter who, in his great proclamation, reveals the identity of Christ, of course through the power of the Holy Spirit, as the Messiah…

It is this knowledge of Christ that made Peter love Jesus fanatically, almost forgetting himself and forgetting what he says and does. We see Peter making a statement not to leave Jesus at his trials, but ends up running away and denying him three times after his arrestation….We see Peter jumping out of the boat upon seeing the risen Lord walking on the water toward him, and then starts doubting and consequently starts drowning in the water… We see Peter fearless to enter the tomb of the risen Christ but was fearfully inside the Upper Room with other disciples until he sees the risen Christ…

It is this Peter that Jesus called, the rock, to whom he gave the keys of the Church, to whom he said, "Take care of my sheep…."

After the resurrection of Christ, we see Peter fearless, proclaiming Christ to the Jews...As a consequence, he receives a death more or less similar to that of Jesus…It is he who is known as the Apostle of the Jews….

Then we have Paul…. When he was still known as Soul, he encountered Christ after his resurrection…He was persecuting and killing those who were known as the People of the Way, the followers of Christ… 

It is said that Paul persecuted and Killed Christians not because he didn’t believe in Christ… Rather, it was because he didn’t believe in the historical Christ who was born in a stable of a human woman, lived among us, and was crucified… In his understanding of Christ, he expected a Christ who would come in glory, in clouds, and in honor, and save mankind without being touched by any human limitation, pain, struggle, trial, and death, almost as a magical Messiah… That’s why he could not accept those who believed in the Christ crucified. So he was persecuting those whom he thought were false followers… 

It is this Soul, upon knowing the person of Christ, the love and the light of the risen Lord, and after his conversion, started proclaiming the very historical Christ to the far ends of the world…And Consequently, received a death not less painful than that of Peter's... And it is he who is known as the Apostle of the Gentles…

You, see…when we look at these two characters and God’s plan or the economy of salvation in the history of mankind, one thing becomes very clear…. God chose, as St. Paul himself says, what the world considers foolish to shame the wise... God chose what the world considers weak to shame the strong...And it is on them God founded the edifice of the church...

A church made up of weak human beings yet trying to be perfect; A church trying to be more inclusive of those who believe as well as those who do not by accepting the unity even in diversity and diversity in unity; A church challenged by the age and time, yet trying to be faithful to the person of Christ who not only lived and died with us, but also who was the first to be resurrected from the dead.  

As we celebrate the feast of these great saints, let’s ask ourselves, how much do we know Christ? 

After the examples of these two great stalwarts, St. Peter and Paul, who is Christ to me today, so that I may love him ardently and follow him very closely?

If St. Peter, as weak and faulty as he was, could have done so much, how much more should I be doing for Christ today?

If St. Paul, as irrational and cruel as he was, could have done so much, how much more should I be doing for Christ today?

The Road Less Traveled... Tuesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time (27th June 2023)

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For the times we have taken the broadway instead of the narrow path that you want us to take, 

Lord, Have mercy...

Having taken the narrow path, for the times we have grumbled on the way, 

Christ, have mercy...

For the times we have failed to understand the difference between what it means to take the broadway and what it means to take the narrow path, 

Lord, have mercy... 

Reading 1, Genesis 13:2, 5-18

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 15:2-3, 3-4, 5

Gospel, Matthew 7:6, 12-14

The Road Less Traveled... 

In his famous poem, “The Road Less Traveled” written in 1915, Robert Frost has this beautiful yet thought-provoking ending:  

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference

Before Robert Frost, it was Jesus who invited us to take the road less traveled by…

In the gospel text of today, Jesus invites us to enter through the narrow road by saying that those who choose to enter through this are fewer and few…

So, the narrow road is indeed the road less traveled….

This is as opposed to those who enter through the broad way. 

As the song ‘Highway to Hell’ rightly puts it,  it is the broad way 

Where there are no stop signs, 

where there are no speed limits

Where there is nobody to slow you down

Where there is no restriction as such…

And it s a one-way ride, asking for nothing, reasoning nothing, and caring for nothing…

It is the road to destruction and death…

On the other hand, the narrow road that Jesus invites us to take today is the road 

Where there are stop signs.

Where there are speed limits and speed breakers…

Where you are watched and reminded about your speed limits…

Where there are U-turns when need be…

Where there are Yield signs to respect 

Where there is the right of way to be respected for fellow passengers…

Wherein one considers and respects the other’s journey as important as one’s own…

As Jesus reminds us today, the narrow road is the road where we treat others as we want them to treat us… 

It is the road wherein we do not profane what is considered holy…

It is the road wherein we appreciate, treasure, and grow in our pearls - our strengths, our gifts, and our God-given talents, as well as those of others… 

It is a narrow road because it is the road of self-annihilation…

It is the road of self-sacrificing… 

It is the road where others’ concerns, difficulties, and challenges become so real to us that we care for them and encourage them to walk with us together…

It is the road we accept and respects the differences in and around us…

How narrow is the road that you have chosen to travel at this moment in your life? 

How determined are you today to continue traveling on the road less traveled? 

Be Compassionate and Be Perfect... Tuesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time (6th June 2023)

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For the time we have loved only those who love us, Lord, have mercy...

For the times we failed to love those whom we do not like so much, Christ, have mercy... 

And so doing, for the times we have failed to be perfect just as our heavenly father is perfect, Lord, have mercy...

Reading 1, Second Corinthians 8:1-9

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 146:2, 5-6, 7, 8-9

Gospel, Matthew 5:43-48

Be Compassionate and Be Perfect... 

It’s almost always the case that we human beings engage in a barter exchange when it comes to love… 

We are ready to give as much as we receive…

If you do this, I will do that…

You scratch my back, I will scratch your back…

This seems to be the normal rule of thumb that operates in and around us…

In the Gospel text of today, Jesus challenges this existing thesis of love, this transactional, barter exchange, or conditional way of love when he says… you have heard this, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

Then he gives his antithesis - But I say to you….love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you… 

This is his new commandment, the commandment of love… an antithesis to what they had already known and practiced as love. An anti-thesis to what we often understand and practice as love…

Behind this new commandment/ behind his new anti-thesis, behind his new proposition, Jesus’ rationale/premise/his argument is this:

For if you love only those who love you, what is so great about it? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that?

Then, he goes on to give his synthesis…Jesus gives the aim of his mission, the aim of his thesis, in life… « Be perfect just as your heavenly father is perfect »

And, how are we going to be perfect? 

By loving one another.. Especially by loving our enemies, those who persecute us, those who disrespect and neglect us, those who do not agree with us, and those who challenge us in life…

It can be my spouse, it can be my companion at my workplace, my children, my parents, my neighbors, my church members, or my team leaders…

Is it possible?

Yes, it is…. Because, in the first reading, as St. Paul in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians reminds us, our master/our guru, Jesus Christ, has already shown us that it is possible to love those who do not like us/ hate us/ insult us/ persecute us

The love of Jesus Christ for us was so much that, though he was rich, he made himself poor, empty, like a lamb dragged to be slaughtered, in order that we become rich, that we become whole, that we experience and remain in love…

How congruent is your definition of love with that of Jesus’ definition and his manifestation of love? 

How perfect are you going to be during this week, in loving one another after the very example of Christ?