DESIRE FOR PERFECTION! ~ CookingFood.Org

“GENEROUS LENT 2017”

Lenten Reflections

Saturday, 11^th March 2017,

First Week of Lent

Deut 26: 16-19;

Zab 119: 1-2, 4-5, 7-8;

Mt 5: 43-48

DESIRE FOR PERFECTION!

Today, in the Gospel, we see Jesus, bringing a radical form of love, more radical than that was practiced. Loving everyone, without any pre conceived notions, whether they like us or not, whether we like them or not, whether they mean us good or evil. Jesus while on this earth, faced so much opposition, from the religious authorities, from the political authorities, from his own hometown, from some of his own disciples. Yet, he always loved all, his message of compassion or of conversion was always filled with love. Even on the Cross, he looked with compassion on his persecutors. Love of God and love of neighbor go hand in hand, and that they cannot be separated. St John puts it rather bluntly: “if someone says he loves God, but hates his brother, he is a liar for he cannot love God, whom he has not seen, if he does not love his brother, whom he has seen” (1Jn 4:20).

Today we are also called to be perfect. Perfection is our calling, nothing less. Perfection means we are striving to live each and every moment in the grace of God. That’s all! Just living here and now immersed in God’s grace. We do not yet have tomorrow, and yesterday is gone forever. All we have is this single present moment. And it’s this moment that we are called to live perfectly. Certainly each one of us can seek perfection for a moment. We can surrender to God here and now and seek only His will in this moment. Over time, the more we live each moment in God’s grace and strive to surrender each moment over to His will, we get stronger, and we get holier. We slowly build habits that make each and every moment easier. Over time, the habits we form make us who we are and draw us into perfection.

Prayer: Lord, I do want to be holy. I want to be holy as You are holy. Help me to live each moment for You, with You and in You. I give this present moment to You, dear Lord. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.

Holy Habit for Lent: THINKING AND SPEAKING – Lord help me to learn the THINK Before I SPEAK. May I consider everything I say, and thus avoid all unnecessary talk and words that are hurting to others. Amen.