So what is Matthew 5: 43-48?
43b “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’c 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,45 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. 46 For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors* do the same? 47 And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same?* 48 So be perfect,* just as your heavenly Father is perfect.d
OK, why this passage today? I spent a lot of my morning yesterday before Masses reading all about Bishop McCarrick and I am mad as hell.
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/mccarrick-the-bishops-and-unanswered-questions
The list of these articles go on and on. I find myself being mad/angry/disappointed – through in an adverb that fits here. I am not a Nancy Pelosi fan and find it ironic that I would quote anything she would say, but she was correct in saying the following:
Pelosi said “we’re all God’s children” and spoke about “a spark of divinity in every person on Earth.”
God’s word is truth and regardless of who is saying that truth doesn’t change the meaning of it. The purpose of today’s blog is not to focus on my support (or lack thereof) of Nancy Pelosi, but the to focus in on the truth of God’s word. We are all God’s children; there is a spark of divinity in every person on earth. Those thoughts tie in directly with the dilemma I find myself in this morning. I find it easy to hate Cardinal McCarrick for all of the wrongs he has done. Heck, the list of people I could find easy to hate could be a long one in this day and age. It would cover politicians, actors, comedians, athletes, singers and the list could go on from there. My point is this – HATE is a 4 -letter word and we all know what our mother’s told us about using 4-letter words.
The challenge I find myself facing today is fulfilling the command given to us by Christ in Matthew 5: 43-48. Christ says to us love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Another one of those 4-letter words that shamefully I find hard to use sometimes – LOVE. If I am truly called to be a disciple of Christ, then my day must start with LOVE and my day should end with LOVE. It is hard and I must commit to working on that. I am called to be perfect – just as my heavenly Father is perfect. In the quote I posted above – there are little hyperlinks attached to the ends of the verses. If you look at the “d” at the end of verse 48, it will take you to a hyper link where the translation of “perfect” is given based on the context of the language originally used. I am called to be merciful – just as my heavenly Father is merciful.
When I pray my Rosary, I always pray a “standard” list of intentions. I pray for the sick that I personally know in my life, I pray for the dead (and list the people in my life who have died that I was close to), I pray for the conversion of sinners, the end of abortions, peace, prosperity, purity, for the Pope and for the President. I think I need to add another list of people that I believe are my “enemies”.
46 For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors* do the same? 47 And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same?
Do something great for our Lord today – pray for all of His children – good and bad alike. As a disciple of Christ, I am called to do no less.
God’s will, not mine, be done.
Be not afraid; just have faith.
Jesus, I trust in You.
St. Mary Magdalen Men of God 