Gospel of the day

From the Gospel according to Luke 6:27-38

Jesus said to his disciples:
“To you who hear I say, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,
and get back the same amount.
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.

“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”

Learning to Love

Jesus reminds us of the summary of the commandments of God’s law: “You shall love the Lord your God above all things, and your neighbour as yourself.” Yet so often the stain of sin draws us to seek love in return — to love only in proportion to the love we receive — the sadly well-known “today for you, tomorrow for me.” And it is such a pity, for us to waste the greatness of love.

One of the world’s biggest problems is that we do not know how to love; we must learn. And Jesus tells us very clearly in this Gospel: love your enemies, and treat others as you would have them treat you. How often in marriage we may fall into giving ourselves only according to the giving of our spouse, only to find that such a response drives us further apart.

But, specially through the grace of our sacrament, we are called by God to be merciful as He teaches us, to respond always without expecting anything in return, and to reach the point of “today for you, and tomorrow for you, and for you, for you, for you…” The Sacred Heart of Jesus is always waiting for us to pour into us that generous, full, pressed down and overflowing measure — just as we are to pour it out for our spouse and for all others.

Brought into Married Life:

Paula: What’s happened? You seem to be a bit on the edge.

Christopher: Nothing new. I’ve argued with my mother again. She keeps saying how neglected she feels by me, but she doesn’t understand that I only want the best for her.

Paula: She is your mother, and you can’t let yourself be carried away by your feelings. She has always been at your side when you needed her.

Christopher: Yes, I know, and that’s why I try so hard to make sure she’s well cared for, but it seems it’s never enough.

Paula: That’s true, she is getting older, and you are the one who has to give way. You can’t care for her based on how she responds to you, but on what she truly needs.

Christopher: Yes, that’s easy to say, but when she ignores me it’s exhausting and makes me want to give up. Besides, I’ve got other siblings who could take care of her too.

Paula: I understand, but you need to be patient. She’s also going through a hard time with your father’s absence, and you can’t leave her alone, no matter how much she goes against you. You’re being a great example for your children — and I’m sure also for your siblings, who no doubt care for her in their own way.

Christopher: You’re right again. I know my giving cannot depend on her response, and I can’t rely on my feelings. I need to yield and stay by her side.

Paula: Brilliant! You deserve great credit for loving in difficult situations when everything seems against you. And it’s not only with your mother — it’s amazing how much you’ve changed, putting others first.

Christopher: Perhaps, but I know the credit is not mine alone.

Mother,

May your Immaculate Heart be our model for loving our enemies — doing them good, blessing them, and praying for them. Blessed be the Sacred Heart of Jesus.