Word to the Wise
Saturday, February 24, 2018 - 1st Week of Lent - Sat
[Deut 26:16-19 and Matt 5:43-48]SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2018 SATURDAY IN THE FIRST WEEK OF LENT [Deuteronomy 26:16-19 and Matthew 5:43-48] "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." [Matthew] The Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel According to Matthew can make for profound Lenten (and other times) reading. A thorough meditation on Jesus' challenging words in those chapters (5-7) can be life-changing. The quotation above follows Jesus' admonition to love one's enemies and pray for one's persecutors. This can take us even beyond forgiveness! In the challenge to "be perfect, just as your Heavenly Father is perfect" we are asked to go beyond a narrow and self-serving love to embrace even our enemies. The more we narrow the list of those whom we love, the less we become close to God. Can we take time to look at the relationships in our lives from God to stranger and ask about our capacity to love? It is not an easy reflection. We have certain visceral responses to particularly heinous crimes like school shootings. The list could be a long one. Or we could have a certain response to people whom we know have hurt us personally in the past. Jesus is not speaking of lofty unattainable goals, he is offering challenges and possibilities that can bring us closer to him. Working on doing that can make for a very fruitful Lent and a lasting way of faith. AMEN