Love of Enemies

Readings for Tuesday June 15, 2010

First Reading: 1 Kings 21:17-29
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51
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 only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt 5:43-48)

Today's gospel is at the heart of what we are here on earth for ... to love and be loved. We are called to love everyone, not matter who they are or what they have done. Usually when we hear talk about loving everyone, a wall immediately goes up, and there is someone that has done us wrong that pops up in our mind. We begin thinking things like, "okay, I can work on loving everyone else, except that person." The reality is that there are people who have done some serious wrong in our lives, and it is there people who are truly the hardest to forgive and love. But think about this, doesn't God love each one of us no matter what? Doesn't He forgive all the times that we have ignored Him, cursed Him, done wrong to others? Doesn't He wait for us patiently and embrace us when we call? Isn't He the only one who can love us as we really desire? No, it is not easy to love those who do not love you, or those who have done you wrong. Love is never easy, but it is the only choice that we truly find peace and joy from, and it is the only choice that is worth it in the end.

Today, reflect on those in your life who have done you wrong. What is it that you can do to love them? Could you let them know how they hurt you and forgive them? Could you do a good act of service for them? Could you pray for them?

Our main purpose in this life is to love and be loved; and we should let nothing get in the way of this important mission.

Father above, we thank you and praise you for the gift of this day. Lord, thank you for all that you have blessed us with, thank you for all that you give to us. Lord, help us to love as you call us to. Help us to love without holding back, just as you do for us. Lord, by ourselves we fall short, but with your help we can accomplish anything. We pray for all those who have done us wrong, help us to find the strength to forgive. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Striking Back

Readings for Monday June 14, 2010

First Reading: 1 Kings 21:1-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 5
Gospel: Matthew 5:38-42


You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. (Mt 5:38-42)

I have worked with youth for many years, and as someone who has worked with kids of all ages and in a variety of settings, there is one issue that I always have to deal with; and that is fighting. I have broken up and talked with kids about more fights than I can remember. What is interesting is that in almost all of the cases when I asked one of the kids why they decided to kit or kick the other person back I get the response: "my mom/dad told me that if anyone ever hits me that I need to hit them back." Most of us have probably been told this same exact thing when we were younger, I know that was certainly the case for me. And who can really blame parents for doing this? At the core of these instructions, is a good intention; parents do not want anyone hurting their children, and they realize that they cannot always be around to protect them, so they want them to retaliate and protect themselves. But while this may be a good intention, the intention does not make up for a wrong action.

It seems as though many people live by the old law of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Many people who are wronged want to wrong that person (or someone else back). It is our deep desire for justice that drives us to act this way, and to even instruct our children to act this way. But the question that we must all ask ourselves is are we really seeking justice, or is it revenge? Jesus had very clear instructions about what we should do if someone strikes us or does us wrong, and the answer is not to retaliate and seek revenge. When someone strikes us on one cheek, we are to offer the other. To most people this would seem like the person is being soft, and not strong, but it is the person who can control their anger and their fists that are really the strongest. Fighting back is easy, anyone can do it, it takes a courage and a strong will to love the person instead of striking them back.

Justice is an important virtue, and we are all deserving of justice; but we must remember that this virtue is secondary to the most important virtue of all ... love. Justice can only be accomplished through the path of love. If it is placed first, then it is not justice we are seeking, but rather vengeance.

Father above, we thank you and praise you for the gift of this day. Lord, thank you for all that you have blessed us with and for all that you give to us. Lord, help us to love as we are called to. Help us to seek your way and to follow you know matter how hard. Lord, send us your spirit, so that we can have the courage to follow you no matter what may come our way. Help us to persevere in this life and to lead others to your love and truth. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.

On the Fence

Readings for Wednesday June 9, 2010

First Reading: 1 Kings 18:20-39
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 16
Gospel: Matthew 5:17-19

Elijah appealed to all the people and said, “How long will you straddle the issue? If the LORD is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him.” The people, however, did not answer him. So Elijah said to the people, “I am the only surviving prophet of the LORD, and there are four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal. Give us two young bulls. Let them choose one, cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood, but start no fire. I shall prepare the other and place it on the wood, but shall start no fire. You shall call on your gods, and I will call on the LORD. The God who answers with fire is God.” All the people answered, “Agreed!” Elijah then said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one young bull and prepare it first, for there are more of you. Call upon your gods, but do not start the fire.” Taking the young bull that was turned over to them, they prepared it and called on Baal from morning to noon, saying, “Answer us, Baal!” But there was no sound, and no one answering. And they hopped around the altar they had prepared. When it was noon, Elijah taunted them: “Call louder, for he is a god and may be meditating, or may have retired, or may be on a journey. Perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” They called out louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until blood gushed over them. Noon passed and they remained in a prophetic state until the time for offering sacrifice. But there was not a sound; no one answered, and no one was listening. (1 Kings 18:21-29)

In today's first reading, we see a show down between God's prophet Elijah, and the prophets of the false god baal. This is one of my favorite stories of Elijah, not only does it show some great biblical smack talk going on (when Elijah is taunting them), but it is also an awesome demonstration to the people that God is the one true God, and the only one to be worshipped. Now the reality is that the people should not have needed this reminder, but sadly it had come to this that the people were wishy washy in their faith, and many had turned to the false god baal.

At the beginning of today's first reading, the prophet Elijah asks the ancient Israelites a question that many people should ask themselves today: "How long will you straddle the issue? If the Lord is God, follow Him; if Baal, follow Him." It is really that simple, if the Lord is our God then we should follow Him, if we are letting something else rule our lives then follow that. Not that I am advocating following worldly things, but the reality is that we cannot be "on the fence" when it comes to God. There are many people who are on the fence and are trying to be both for God and for themselves. These are the people who are wishy washy about God and their faith, they might go through some of the motions like attending mass, occasional prayer when something is wrong; but their heart is not fully with the Lord. They are not exactly "all in", they are simply on the fence and are "straddling the issue."

When it comes to serving God, middle of the road does not work. We cannot be on the fence when it comes to God. We are called to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, not just part of it.

Father above, we thank you and praise you for the gift of this day. Lord, thank you for our lives and for the many gifts you have given to us. Lord, help us not to be on the fence but to follow you with all that we are. Help us to have courage and to persevere in this life. Lord, you are our good merciful God, we are your people, help us to show it all times. We pray for all of those who are one the fence, may they come to fully embrace your loving and merciful ways. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessed Are the Persecuted

Readings for Monday June 7, 2010

First Reading: 1 Kings 17:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 121
Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the land.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart,

for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,

for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Mt. 5:1-12)

Poor in spirit, mourning, meek, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, merciful, persecuted ... are these typical things that people strive for in the world? Are these traits highly regarded among people today? We know that they are not, in fact the world tell us to strive for the opposite; be strong, do what you want to do, love only yourself and think of yourself, go with the flow, don't be different, etc. The beatitudes that Jesus taught His disciples are just as relevant today as they were when Jesus first spoke those words in His sermon on the mount. While the world tells us that these traits are not important and make us weak, we know that it is by striving for these traits that we can live a full life and get to heaven. This is what we should strive for, no matter what anyone else thinks, says or does.

Now, Jesus knows that these are not the most popular traits in the world, and in fact they are certainly not easy to strive for either. That is why He follow up talking about the beatitudes by warning us that by following His ways others will insult and persecute us. And what should our reaction be to this? We should rejoice! Now, I know what you are thinking, "rejoice" ... be happy over being insulted and persecuted? It doesn't seem logical, but the reality is that even though we are going to go through some pretty tough times because of our faith, we should rejoice because we have a great reward in heaven waiting for those who are willing to abandon worldly ways, pick up their cross and follow Christ.

Jesus told us that they also persecuted the prophets, and as we know many Christians throughout history and even today are persecuted because of their faith. Christ does not promise us that this will be easy, we only have the promise that it will be worth it in the end.

Father above, we thank you and praise you for the gift of this day. Lord, thank you for all that you have given us in our life. Thank you for our lives, help us to not seek out the world, but rather seek your will and your ways. Lord, you are so faithful to us, help us remain close and faithful to you. Lord, send us your Spirit so that we may receive the gift of courage to continue to persevere and fight the good fight. We pray for all of our priests, that they may be strengthened in their ministries. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Simplicity

Readings for Thursday June 3, 2010

Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga, martyr, and his companions, martyrs

First Reading: 2 Timothy 2:8-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 25
Gospel: Mark 12:28-34

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Jesus replied, “The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, He is One and there is no other than he. And to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And no one dared to ask him any more questions. (Mk 12:28-34)

Simplicity, couldn't we all use more of this in our lives? It seems as though we let our lives get so complicated that we lose sight of our basic purpose. Thankfully for us, the Lord keeps His ways simple. In today's gospel reading, we see that there is really only one thing that we need to do: Love the Lord God with all of our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength; and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Everything that we do in our lives should stem from this basic truth, we are called to love. It is really that simple.

We were made to love and to be loved, that is why we are here. Love, should be the basis for all that we do and all that we strive for. While our goal of loving God and others is a very simple instruction, it is not always the easiest. The fact is that we let things get in the way, we let sin and our own desires become speed bumps and detours away from love. We complicated things in our lives by moving away from this simple principle and by gravitating towards our own will. We need to always keep our main focus in mind and this simple principle of love at the forefront of our mind at all times. It is only by centering our lives around God and others that we truly find ourselves.

Love is the answer, love is our simple calling. While it is not always the easiest, it is always the most worth it.

Father above, we thank you and praise you for the gift of this day. Lord, thank you for all that you bless us with and for all that we are. Lord, you give us one simple instruction, and that is to love. Help us to truly love in our lives and to not only think of ourselves but rather to give our lives to you and others. Lord, you have sacrificed so much for us, help us to sacrifice for you and your glory. Help us to persevere in this life so that one day we can be with you in heaven. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hefty, Hefty, Hefty

Readings for Tuesday June 2, 2010

First Reading: 2 Timothy 1:1-3, 6-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 123
Gospel: Mark 12:18-27

For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God. (2 Tim. 1:6-8)

Do you remember the old hefty garbage bag commercials? They would always begin by showing a hefty trash bag and showing how much it held and how strong it was, all while shouting "hefty, hefty, hefty!" Then they would flash to a cheap trash bag that would rip and tear and all the trash would fall out, all while saying the phrase "wimpy, wimpy, wimpy." These were great commercials that basically tried to show how a hefty bag was the best and strongest out there, and that any other garbage bag was just not up the the task, it was "wimpy."

In today's first reading, Paul is addressing Timothy, and making a similar comparison between two different types of spirits, a spirit of cowardice and the spirit of God, which bring us power and love and self control. One is associated with the world, while the other comes from above. When looking at these two spirits, it is easy to compare and see which one is "hefty, hefty, hefty" and which one is "wimpy, wimpy, wimpy." We should each be asking for God to send His Spirit on us, for it is through the Spirit that we can live our lives as God intended. We must remember that it is a Spirit that will give us the power to have courage and persevere in this life; to love God and others as we should; and the power of self control which helps us to avoid sin and temptation.

When thinking about the Spirit of God versus the spirit of the world, it is a no brainer which one we should seek. "Hefty, hefty, hefty!"

Father above, we thank you and praise you for the gift of this day. Lord, thank you for all that you have blessed us with in this life and for all that you give to us. Lord, send us your Spirit so that we may live as you call us to. Help us to sacrifice and to strain in this life, all for your glory. Lord, you are our God and we are your people, help us to never forget this. We pray for all victims of abuse, and for peace in our world. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Give to God

Readings for Tuesday June 1, 2010

First Reading: 1 Peter 3:12-15, 17-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 90
Gospel: Mark 12:13-17

Some Pharisees and Herodians were sent to Jesus to ensnare him in his speech. They came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion. You do not regard a person’s status but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or should we not pay?” Knowing their hypocrisy he said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius to look at.” They brought one to him and he said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They replied to him, “Caesar’s.” So Jesus said to them, “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” They were utterly amazed at him. (Mk 12:13-17)

In today's Gospel, we read of yet another plot to catch Jesus in His words. Little do they know that Jesus is God who only speaks the truth and His words have a way of silencing those who even ask the most loaded questions. While the Pharisees and Herodians intentions were not the best, their question is actually a good one. Should we pay our taxes? Jesus answers with a yes, it is okay to pay taxes, to "Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar." Though it is okay, and a responsibility of each of us to pay our taxes, we must not forget the other part of what Jesus says, and that is "and to God what belongs to God." This means that even though we should be responsible and pay our taxes, we cannot and should not ever forget to give to God what belongs to Him.

One way that we can give to God is by tithing. Having to pay taxes, having a high mortgage and insurance, or needing a new car is no reason not to tithe. We should each strive to give 10% of what we make to the Church, but if that is not possible, then we should try to give all that we have. Like the Gospel account of the poor widow who gave everything that she had into the treasury (see Mark 12:41-44); we too are also called to give all that we can to God. After all it is all His and all because of Him that we have what we have in the first place!

While God is certainly pleased with the sacrifices and generosity that we give through tithing, this is not the only area that we should be striving to give in. We can also give to God through our time and prayers. God, who always makes time for us is deserving of our time. Many of us simply try to work God into our day and to fit in a few prayers hear and there. The reality is that we should be working our lives around God and around prayer. Our Creator loves us so much, and really wants to help us live the best life possible. It would be in our best interest to spend time with Him each and every day. The days when we are stressed and really pressed for time, we should spend even more time with Him.

God loves us more than we deserve, and regardless He waits for us ready to pour out His love and mercy. Let us never take this for granted, and always seek to give to God what belongs to Him ... and that is us.

Father above, we thank you and praise you for the gift of this day. Lord, thank you for all that you have blessed us with in this life and for all that you do. Lord, help us to live for you and to make this life into what you will for us. Lord, we are your children, help us to be obedient to you and to serve only you in our life. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.