Saturday of the First Week of Lent
Lectionary: 229
Reading 1
Deuteronomy 26:16-19
Moses spoke to the people, saying:
"This day the LORD, your God,
commands you to observe these statutes and decrees.
Be careful, then,
to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.
Today you are making this agreement with the LORD:
he is to be your God and you are to walk in his ways
and observe his statutes, commandments and decrees,
and to hearken to his voice.
And today the LORD is making this agreement with you:
you are to be a people peculiarly his own, as he promised you;
and provided you keep all his commandments,
he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory
above all other nations he has made,
and you will be a people sacred to the LORD, your God,
as he promised.”
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8
R. (1b) Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
You have commanded that your precepts
be diligently kept.
Oh, that I might be firm in the ways
of keeping your statutes!
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
I will give you thanks with an upright heart,
when I have learned your just ordinances.
I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Verse Before the Gospel
2 Corinthians 6:2b
Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
Gospel
Matthew 5:43-48
Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies,
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers and sisters only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
The Perfection of Love
“But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.” Matthew 5:44–45
Today’s Gospel ends with Jesus saying, “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This is a high calling! And it is clear that part of the perfection to which you are called requires a generous and total love even for those you may consider your “enemies” and those who “persecute” you.
When faced with this high calling, one immediate reaction could be that of discouragement. When faced with such a challenging command, it is understandable that you may feel incapable of such a love, especially when the hurt caused by another is ongoing. But there is another reaction that is entirely possible and one for which we should aim. And that reaction is deep gratitude.
The gratitude we should allow ourselves to experience is on account of the fact that our Lord wants us to share in His life of perfection. And the fact that He commands us to live this life also tells us that it is entirely possible. What a gift! What an honor it is to be invited by our Lord to love with His very heart and to love to the extent that He loves all people. The fact that we are all called to this level of love should result in our hearts giving deep thanks to our Lord.
If discouragement, however, is your immediate reaction to this calling from Jesus, try to look at others from a new perspective. Try to suspend judgment toward them, especially against those who have and continue to hurt you the most. It’s not your place to judge; it’s your place only to love and to see others as the children of God who they are. If you dwell upon another’s hurtful actions, angry feelings will inevitably arise. But if you strive only to see them as children of God whom you are called to love without reserve, then even feelings of love will more easily arise within you, helping you to fulfill this glorious command.
Reflect, today, upon this high calling of love and work to foster gratitude within your heart. The Lord wants to give you an incredible gift by loving all people with His heart, including those who tempt you to anger. Love them, see them as God’s children and allow God to draw you into the heights of perfection to which you are called.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
HOW TO BECOME OUR OWN WORST ENEMIES
“My command to you is: love your enemies, pray for your persecutors. This will prove that you are sons of your heavenly Father.” —Matthew 5:44-45
The Lord commands us to “observe His statutes, commandments and decrees, and to hearken to His voice” (Dt 26:17). If we obey Him, He will raise us “high in praise and renown and glory” and we “will be a people sacred to the Lord” (Dt 26:19). But if we do not obey the Lord, we do not love Him (Jn 15:10; 1 Jn 5:3), and if we do not love Him, we are doomed. Therefore, we must obey the Lord, even if we have to suffer and die to do it.
One of the Lord’s commands is: “Love your enemies” (Mt 5:44). Obviously, this command is humanly impossible to obey. Only God Who is Love (see 1 Jn 4:16) can love anyone, especially enemies. Consequently, we must ask God to give us His divine power to love our enemies. We must accept this grace because unless we love our enemies, we are not obeying God and therefore not loving Him.
Prayer: Father, thank You for the grace of forgiving and loving enemies.
Promise: “In a word, you must be made perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” —Mt 5:48
Praise: For many years, Cheryl has volunteered her musical ability to teach new seminarians how to sing and chant the liturgical praises of God.
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
If we are to walk in the way of Our Lord, we are challenged to love unconditionally. It means to go against the current, to put love where there is no love, to sow peace where there is discord and to be reconciled with those who consider us their enemies. Can we go beyond what others do by blessing and praying for them? To be like Jesus we must have the love of Jesus in our hearts. Can we surrender the difficult moments to Jesus and ask Him to set us free to love our enemies? With God, all things are possible! Lord Jesus, change my heart towards those I distrust and those who have harmed me in word and deed.
Prayers
My most perfect Lord, I thank You for loving me despite my many sins. I thank You for also calling me to share in the depths of Your love for others. Give me the eyes to see all people as You see them and to love them as You love them. I do love You, Lord. Help me to love You and others more. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, your love brings freedom and pardon. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and set my heart ablaze with your love that nothing may make me lose my temper, ruffle my peace, take away my joy, nor make me bitter towards anyone.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 55: Creation Reflects the Mercy of God
Think of the most beautiful sunset possible, gleaming over the wide ocean in the evening with the sky radiant in color. Or think of the majestic mountain peaks piercing through a bright blue sky, or a mighty waterfall, pouring forth from the heights. All of these gifts of creation are glorious, beautiful and breath-taking. But none of them compares to the glory and majestic splendor of God’s Mercy (See Diary #158).
God’s Mercy, when properly perceived, will take our breath away and more. We will be left in awe of His perfect unfailing love for us. But sometimes we cannot see His Mercy for what it is. Reflect, today, upon your own experience of God’s Mercy. Do you perceive all that He is? Have you had moments when you have encountered His Mercy in an overwhelming way within your own soul? If not, spend time seeking to comprehend Him. Humble yourself before Him and ask Him to peel back the veil of His infinite love for you.
Lord, I know You are merciful beyond what I could ever imagine. But there are many times when I do not understand You and Your ways. I feel distant and lost. Help me to know Your love. Help me to see the splendor and beauty of who You are. And help me, as I come to discover You, to be drawn into a burning love for You. Jesus, I trust in You.
No comments:
Post a Comment