Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5, 43-48
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
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.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Be perfect like your Father
1. Love your enemies. How difficult it is to be surrounded by people who make us suffer because they want to. According to the philosopher Schopenhauer, intelligence gives us the capacity to do harm. He says that the only thing that exists in the world are desires, because we desire a person or a thing and when we have it we look for other things or persons. Then we realize that one’s desires are never satisfied and that’s why we suffer. It’s important to know that you can’t you go through life seeking to satisfy desires, because that’s harmful and may lead others to think how to destroy you just to satisfy themselves. Beware of this. For Christians our only desire is eternal life. And what does loving your enemy mean? It refers to a supernatural love in which you must pray, forgive, and forget. Is it difficult? Of course, but let me remind you this is an ongoing process.
2. Pray. There are people who have been locked in a toxic system for years, where there is constant day-to-day stress. In this situation it’s better to leave or let go. This is what Jesus taught us with his life. Sometimes we tend to criticize people who leave a job or a country or a relationship. Many get to the point of saying “that’s it, this is it” and draw a line. I’d like to make it clear to you that unhealthy relationships can destroy your destiny, even ruin your faith, make you lose sight of yourself and feel lost in life. There are people in an abusive relationship who stay out of fear of what others might say. Other people are in jobs they hate. And many other similar situations. You must realize at some point that you have to make a change. Put yourself in the hands of the only Redeemer who is Jesus, ask him to help you and work hard, because getting out of something that hurts you will take years. Detoxifying and forgiving is a long process. So, beware of misinterpreting this Gospel; out of context, it could lead to low self-esteem.
3. To be perfect. This means to fulfill God’s work in your life and to understand that you strive every day to improve yourself and to become a better person. To be perfect is to have a generous heart but, above all, it’s knowing how to wait on the God of life for what’s best for your life but doing what’s necessary at the same time. Your life becomes extraordinary when you face problems and accept your own mistakes. Your life becomes extraordinary when you understand that every day you give the best of yourself. When you fall down just get up again trusting in God and in yourself, knowing that you give your all so that something good will come to your life.
Remember that something good is on the way.
God bless you and protect you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
