Our heavenly Father loves us and wants us to have and experience all He has to offer us. To do so we must be obedient to His commandments and His Will for us which keeps us from evil and Sin.
Jesus in today’s Gospel teaches us to love, a much deeper profound love. To love our enemies, our neighbours even strangers. In a sense we are called to love with a divine love, the love our Father has for us. And we are able to do so through Him, so long as we strive to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. He knows our limitations and hardships, but the call to perfection is in the trying, to grow and not to remain still, to reach the maturity where we will bear much fruit.
Lord Jesus have mercy on us for the many times we fall into Sin, help us to overcome all our addictions and temptations and strengthen us against evil. As we strive daily to heed Your call to holiness. Amen
FIRST READING
Deuteronomy 26:16–19
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.”
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