“WARM WITH GOD’S LOVE”
Lenten Reflections
24th February 2018.
------------------------------------------------
SATURDAY, FIRST WEEK OF LENT
Reading 1: Deut 26: 16-19 Moses reminds his people of the covenant God has made with them and again states the conditions for their part in the covenant.
Res. Psalm: Ps 119: 1-2, 4-5, 7-8 They are happy, who follow God’s law.
Gospel: Mt 5: 43-48 The Jesus lays down the law of the new covenant, which he will establish as a fulfillment of the old. The law is love for others, including enemies.
------------------------------------------------
PERFECTION OF LOVE!
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.
This perfection begins with our relationship with God and men. Loving one’s enemies becomes as natural as God loving us. Prayer becomes not only our experience with God, but also a sharing of that experience with others who are as desperate for its taste as we are. Prayer is no more just spending time with the Lord. Authentic prayer changes us, unmasks us, strips us, and makes us uneasy at times. St. Teresa of Avila says that prayer leads us to true self-knowledge, and to true humility. Prayer makes us see clearly that there are no enemies. There are only others just like us. Even the horrible, according to our standards, are invited into God’s love. Prayer is the place for learning new standards, ones that are based on God’s unutterable kindness for all of us, beginning with our enemies and extending even to us.
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.
Lenten Act: Jesus challenges us to holiness through perfection of our love. May we today look at all with such love. Let us take steps to forgive persons who may have hurt us in our lifetime.