Love your enemies and pray for them

Deut. 26:16-19, Mt. 5:43-48. What we are, is God's gift to us and what we become is our gift to God. Our best gift is an awareness of the presence of God within us, which then moves us to live as God’s children. The divine presence is all around us like the sunshine and the air we breathe. From our mother’s womb, the love of God continues to enfold us. In response to this love we are called to love God with all our heart and soul. Today's first reading repeatedly uses the words “now” and “today” to say that our response to God should be ongoing: “Today you are entering this bond with the Lord.” Our commitment needs renewal everyday. The book of Joshua extends this message of today and calls for our response “by day and by night” (Josh. 1:8). Lent is a time for renewing personal prayer, letting the rhythm of God’s spirit take us over.

This continuous renewal is a call to perfection, not to perfectionism. To be a perfectionist is to be an extreme disciplinarian, demanding that everything be done precisely right, down to the last detail. In today's Gospel, Jesus raises the commandment of love to a higher level. Instead of just loving those of our own family, faith and fatherland, we are challenged to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors. For if we only love those who love us and only treat nicely those from whom we expect to get something back, we are not acting like God who loves all people and treats everyone with justice and equality. We are asked to prove that we are children of our God by loving everyone as God loves. Today, we are called to reach out our hands and join them together with others, even those with whom we have problems or disagreements. God loves everyone with infinite, unconditional love and does not withhold divine love from anyone.

May the Lord fill us with His divine love so that we can be generous, forgiving, compassionate and loving like our Heavenly Father! Amen!! Good morning and Happy Weekend!!!