A DISCIPLE DOING AS JESUS DID: WILLING THE GOOD OF THOSE WHO HARM ME AND OTHERS

“Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.

“You shall not bear hatred for your brother or sister in your heart.
Though you may have to reprove your fellow citizen,
do not incur sin because of him.
Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against any of your people.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  Leviticus 19:2,17-18

“You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, . . . when someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand over your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go for two miles. . . . 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 5:38-48

If we have been listening carefully and personally to today’s and prior weeks’ readings from the Gospel according to Matthew, we realize that Jesus puts a lot of faith in the ability and the willingness of the men and women who have answered his call to follow him – to be his present-day disciples – you and me, every one of us – as individuals and as the community of St. Micahel’s disciples. He is calling us to take his place today: to walk among the people around us, to see each of them and ourselves as holy, because God made us to be the “children of our heavenly Father.”

TAKE NO REVENGE; CHERISH NO GRUDGE

• When someone struck Jesus, did he turn the other cheek? Yes. When someone strikes me, do I turn the other cheek?  If not, Lent 2023 could be a time to ponder my reaction when someone strikes me or says something that hurts me. What is it about me that is keeping me from seeing the person and the situation as Jesus is asking me to see them – even as he, himself would?
• And did Jesus love his enemies? Yes, he did. Does he expect me to be able to love my enemies? Do I? If I do not, what about me is keeping me from doing so? Do I trust Jesus and myself enough to change?

We are able to do all of these things suggested by Jesus – if we turn to him, who with the Father has given us the ability to do so. He and the Father do not force this upon us. Rather they breathe their life, their Spirit, into us. It seems that God, who could have forced us to do so, wants us to have a part in our growing into the fullness of our ourselves, experiencing and choosing to share the joy of achieving it.

Our Trinitarian God, a community of persons, is encouraging us to  be “children of our heavenly Father!” Can we rise each day and let our unwavering love shine like the sun, bringing light and warmth to all, helping God’s love fall like rain upon the just and the unjust?

As we gather on this pre-Ash Wednesday weekend, let us promise God and each other a Lenten Season dedicated to removing from our hearts whatever is putting barriers between us and others.

Sister Loretta