7th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A, Year II)

Community Word:    Disciples of Christ are purified towards holiness by their love for God and others.

Theme:  We are purified towards holiness when we love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

Promise: “He redeems your life from destruction, he crowns you with kindness and compassion.”  (Ps 103:4)

Reflection: 
Our theme for the 7th Sunday is: “We are purified towards holiness when we love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.” Clearly this is how Jesus wants us to respond to those who hurt us. Instead of getting even, Jesus tells us to reciprocate with love and forgiveness: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” (Mt 5:14).

Obviously, disciples should not be provoked into retaliation; rather, their reaction should reflect their position as disciples. Not an easy thing to do, but we believe our God, who demands such a difficult thing from us, will also give us the strength to accomplish His will.

We have to remain steadfast and be patient, especially on occasions of betrayal. Jesus himself has shown us the way.  While hanging on the cross, he prayed for His executioners: “Father, forgive them, because they know not what they do.” As the gospel points out, God treats everyone equally. He “makes his sun to rise on the bad people and the good and causes the rain to fall on just and the unjust” (Mt 5:45) alike. Just as Jesus loved even His enemies, His disciples must do likewise.  We must learn to love because that is the nature and demand of discipleship.

Jesus himself is the model and yardstick for loving others; “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do” (Jn 13:15).  The way He loves us should be the measure of our love for others – a love that goes beyond self, a love that knows humility, a love that serves and gives life.  Christian love is to love even when there seems to be nothing in it for us.  It expresses itself in service, affection, self-sacrifice and forgiveness.

In John 13:35 we are told: “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”Indeed, love is an essential quality of true discipleship, and nothing can ever make up for the lack of it, because as 1Cor.13:13 tells us, “Of faith, hope and love . . .  the greatest is love”.  We tend to give highest importance to life, but life can only have meaning when there is love, for – “If I am without love. . . I would be nothing,” St. Paul says, (1Cor.13:1-3).

We have to live as Jesus did, in every way – the way we communicate and interact with one another, and in our witnessing.  Union with God must show itself, not only in a life of faith, but above all, in our love for our brethren, friend or foe, and the measure of this love is not ourselves but our love for our Lord. This should be the basis of our love for one another.

All Christians want to be holy like Jesus. Thus we strive to follow His example in living our life. “Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy” (Lev 19:2), as the first readings says. Moreover, Christ exhorts us to hold no grudge, no hatred, and no desire for revenge. “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt. 5:48), he tells us. Trusting that God understands our human frailties, we nonetheless strive to be as humanly perfect as possible. For when all is said and done, the only way to God is to choose to love.

Reflection Questions:
1.What do we understand about God’s wisdom for us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us?

2.How do I visualize myself working towards holiness?

This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
February  23, 2014 (Sun)    Lv 19:1-2,17-18/Ps 103:1-2,3-4,8,10,12-13/1Cor 3:16-23/Mk 5:18-48
February 24, 2014 (Mon)     Jas 3:13-18/Ps 19:8,9,10,15/Mk 9:14-29
February 25, 2014 (Tues)    Jas 4:1-10/Ps 55:7-8,9-10,10-11,23/Mk 9:10-37
February 26, 2014 (Wed)    Jas 4:13-17/Ps 49:2-3,6-7,8-10,11?Mk 9:38-40
February 27, 2014 (Thur)    Jas 5:1-6/Ps 49:14-15,15-16,17-18,19-20/Mk 9:41-50
February 28, 2014 (Fri)       Jas 5:9-12/Ps 103:1-2,3-4,8-9,11-12/Mk 10:1-12
March 1, 2014 (Sat)           Jas 5:13-20/Ps 141:1-2,3,8/Mk 10:13-16

 “Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ.  Read your Bible daily!”

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