Discover the Gospel of the February 23 Mass
Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint-Luc
7th Ordinary Time Sunday
At that time, Jesus declared to his disciples: “I tell you, to you who listen to me: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Would like those who curse you, pray for those who slander you. To the one who strikes you on a cheek, presents the other cheek. To the one who takes you your coat, do not refuse your tunic. Give anyone asking you, and who takes your property, does not claim it. What you want others to do for you, do it for them too. If you like those who love you, what recognition do you deserve? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who make you, what recognition do you deserve? Even sinners do the same. If you lend those you hope to receive in return, what recognition do you deserve? Even sinners lend to sinners to give them the equivalent. On the contrary, love your enemies, do good and lend without hoping in return. So your reward will be great, and you will be the sons of the Most High, because it is good for the ungrateful and the bad guys. Be merciful as your father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will be given: it is a very full, packed, shaken, overflowing measure, which will be poured into the section of your garment; Because the measure you use for others will also be used for you. »»
* Chapter 6, verses 27 to 38.
Other readings: Samuel’s first book (Chapter 26, verses 2 and 7 to 9, 12 to 13 and 22 to 23); Psalm 102 (103); First letter from Saint Paul to Corinth Christians (Chapter 15, verses 45 to 49).
How difficult it is to love!
Dominique LangJournalist with the assumptionist pilgrim and religious:
When Jesus teaches his disciples that we must love those who hate us, imagine the head they had to do. Because even we, many centuries later, still finds it difficult to welcome and live this teaching. Some quickly evacuate it considering that only Jesus could do it and that it therefore comes from an ideal concretely out of our reach.
But then, is the Gospel still good news to transmit? However, there is no question of superhuman effort here, but of measure. Of an inner reversal that Jesus asks his disciples: it is because you know God’s love for you (and which is the same for everyone around us) that you can – better, that you must – exceed your Ordinary self -defense reflexes. Love, under these conditions, is no longer simply a question of affection, emotion or exchange giving-back.
It is an attitude that announces, often in spite of ourselves, the striking and merciful love of God for his creatures. Being “good for ungrateful and bad guys” as is the father is a hell of a conversion that is requested. But it is also in this way that the Gospel is announced and transmitted in the most credible way.
