24 February, 2024 | Saturday of the First Week of Lent

 Reading : Dt 26:16-19

Gospel Mt 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:

Jesus said, “You must be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” In other words, we must be holy, just as our heavenly Father is holy. We must be like God our Father, no less.

To be like God means to do what Jesus did. And that is to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us. People might say that is crazy, but that is what it means to be holy. As human as we are, it is always hard for us to forgive especially those who hurt us, but today Jesus invites us to love and forgive our enemies. Not to hold any hatred, and to treat people the way we want to be treated. And it is possible to love and forgive because Jesus has showed us with His own life, death and resurrection. Let us fix our gaze on Jesus in our struggles to love and forgive our brothers and sisters.

Activity:

Pray for those who have recently hurt you, those who have found fault with you.Then pray for those whom you have hurt or found fault with, especially in public..