The WORD today reminds me that loving as God does would bring great rewards.
The
first reading shows us Paul telling the Colossians how to act, that they should
love God through others. God loves us, and we area called to pass that love to
others. in the gospel, we see another way of doing that. A more radical way.
Jesus explicitly tells us to love our enemies. And he reminds us, and assures
us, that as we give love, more will be given back to us.
God
cannot be out given.
God
is love, and he wants us to love. When you love others, they usually give you
back the love. It is easy to love family and friends, and other people who are
good to you. in fact, it is great to love them, for you know they will love you
back, and the love you give them is not only appreciated, but will be returned
to you in one way or another. But God wants more. God wants and expects more
from us.
God
wants us to love the unlovable.
God
wants us to extend love to those who we do not feel like loving. The annoying
people, the hard to love people, those who treat us bad. These people will most
probably not repay our love and kindness, but loving them will still bring
great rewards. The people who might not even realize what we are doing to them.
The people we might not realize we are loving them. And because they do not
realize, they would not appreciate it. This is where God comes in. he will be
the one to repay us. he will be the one to reward us. and as we love others,
especially those unlovable, we become more and more like him – which by itself
is a great reward already! And an even greater reward is waiting for us -
eternity with Him.
What
is love for me? I love God, but do I live it through others? How do I show and
demonstrate my love for God? Do I do what God asks me - to love the unlovable?
Why? What would it take for me to love others as God would want me to? When can
I start? Who can I start loving this way?
May
we be challenged and inspired to share God’s love to others, especially to
those who we feel not deserving of it.
Father
God,
Thank
you for today. Thank you for another day to live. thank you for another chance
to experience your love. Thank you for loving me. Lord, sorry for not loving
others as you want me to. Sorry for just loving those who are easy to love -
those who will acknowledge and repay my love. Sorry for taking the easy way.
Sorry for loving myself and my feelings more than I love you. Lord, help me
spread your love. Help me love my family, friends and those around me. may they
always be reminded of your love. But in a special way, I ask that you help me
love those who I feel are unlovable. Help me be kind and extend goodness and
love to the annoying people in my life, to those who I do not know, and to
those who I feel do not deserve love. Help me love even if I know the love I
will give will not be appreciated and accepted. Help me love like you do. As I
try to do so, I know I will be more and more like you. amen.
Blessed Day!
In Christ,
-g-
September 12 2019
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Thursday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 440
Lectionary: 440
Reading
1 COL 3:12-17
Brothers
and sisters:
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one Body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one Body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Responsorial
Psalm PS
150:1B-2, 3-4, 5-6
R.(6) Let everything that breathes
praise the Lord!
Praise the LORD in his sanctuary,
praise him in the firmament of his strength.
Praise him for his mighty deeds,
praise him for his sovereign majesty.
R. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise him with the blast of the trumpet,
praise him with lyre and harp,
Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipe.
R. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise him with sounding cymbals,
praise him with clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath
praise the LORD! Alleluia.
R. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise the LORD in his sanctuary,
praise him in the firmament of his strength.
Praise him for his mighty deeds,
praise him for his sovereign majesty.
R. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise him with the blast of the trumpet,
praise him with lyre and harp,
Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipe.
R. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise him with sounding cymbals,
praise him with clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath
praise the LORD! Alleluia.
R. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Alleluia 1
JN 4:12
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If we love one another,
God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If we love one another,
God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel LK
6:27-38
Jesus
said to his disciples:
"To you who hear I say, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,
and get back the same amount.
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as also 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."
"To you who hear I say, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,
and get back the same amount.
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as also 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."
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