Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 6, 36-38
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”
Jesus said to his disciples
1. Be merciful. Learning to forgive is an art and can take a lifetime. It’s not something you do from one day to the next. Of course, it’s hard for you to forgive that person who made you suffer. It hurts and it’s difficult. But to start a process of forgiveness you mustn’t think about the person who hurt you, but rather think about yourself and God. Anger and rage, like hatred and resentment, make you focus on the person who destroyed your life and your trust. The proposal that Jesus makes to you is to look at yourself and your relationship with Him. Return to your essence, which is what makes you grow and walk towards God.
2. Do not judge. Judging can poison us and others, because by judging we take away opportunities from them and from your own life. Becoming a judge of the life of others and of your own ends up limiting your life. I believe that it’s one of the biggest blows that we have in life and even in the Church. Judging people has led us to imprison in our minds many people who were free.
3. The measure. I have learned over time and with my experience as a priest, that one cannot become a ruler to measure who enters and who does not. It’s hard when your life is spent as a customs officer of faith and life. It’s exhausting to always be measuring the life of others. You end up becoming a policeman and detective of everyone around you, you suspect everyone. The saddest thing is that you don’t look into yourself to grow, but you keep looking at the lives of others. Sometimes you are very hard with those around you, but you feel you’re free to do whatever you want. Look at yourself and be honest, be faithful and consistent with what you think and believe.
And don’t forget that something good is on the way!
God bless you and be with you, in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
