Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time
Leviticus 19: 1-2, 17-18
I Corinthians 3:16-23
Matthew 5:38-48
Who wants to be holy? Who wants to be perfect? Who wants to try and be better than what we are today? We are told to be holy and to be perfect, but how do we live being holy and perfect? God’s Word says, “Do not hang onto resentment, anger, hatred and violence. Think of an argument, a fight, we have had, it may have been today or a long time ago, but we are still in it. How can that situation be resolved? We think “If I just hate them enough, I am punishing them.” Not true, we normally are punishing ourselves. Our readings offer us spiritual truths that we can hang onto and use in our lives.
In our first reading, Moses is speaking to the whole community, and he says, “Be holy!” Why? Because God is holy and we are made in the image and likeness of God.
In our second reading, St. Paul says, “Be holy! Why? Because we are the temple of God.” This statement is very powerful because the Temple in Jerusalem is still standing at this time, this is the center of their lives. Paul is saying, “There is no room for revenge or holding a grudge in the temple of God.”
In our Gospel, Jesus says, “Be holy!” How? “By offering no resistance to one who is evil.” Is he for real? Most of us are hard-wired to fight when someone has hurt us. Is Jesus wanting is to be wimps? Who is the stronger person, the one who lashes out in anger or the one who remains in self-control?
Jesus continues, “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” A spiritual truth to know is when Jesus uses the word “love” in this situation, he means, “To wish the wellbeing into another person.” It is not the romantic love we often think of when we hear when we speak about love. We are to wish the wellbeing into those we struggle to love. Another spiritual truth is to remind ourselves that we are not going to get along with everyone, and even though we may not get along with them if they are in need of our help we must serve them. The last spiritual truth is we should pray daily for those we struggle to love and for those who struggle to love us.
It is not easy to be holy or perfect, but that is why we come to be strengthened in the Eucharist because God offers us the greatest gift in his son. May we be strengthened to learn to let go of our hatred and learn to love!
frmarkpeacock 