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Monday, February 22, 2021

Loving God Through Others


The WORD today reminds me that we should love God through others. 

A lot of people say they love God, however not all can say they love the least, the last, the lost, the faithless, the unchurched. A lot say that they want to serve Jesus, but not all say they want to serve the poor, those in prison, the sick. Some say they don’t deserve service, because those in prison are criminals, or the poor may be part of a syndicate, of the sick did not take care of themselves. However, in today’s gospel, we are reminded that Jesus is not a statue in the church that we profess our love to, but is alive on others living with us.

'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
…
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life

Love for God is concretized through love for others. 

God is not contented with mere profession of love and service. Talk is easy. God wants us to act. And we can tell him we really love him and we really want to serve him, if we love and serve others. Doesn’t matter if other people don’t see the action. Doesn’t matter if we don’t get acknowledgement or affirmation. God sees everything we do, and God sees what we do and not do unto others. 

The first reading emphasizes who God is. It expounds on the gospel. We see God teaching us how to act, how to treat others. And at the end of each set of orders, we see God reinforcing who he is. I AM THE LORD. It is a reminder to treat others good, to show love to others, to love God through others because the command is coming from God.

Do I love God? How do I live that love? Do I merely say I love him, or do I live it by loving and serving others? Do I only serve people who I feel deserve it, or am I willing to love others as God commanded me to? What is he telling me today? How can I make my love for him more alive and concrete today? 

May we live our love for God by expressing it to others.

Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another week! Thank you for another chance to love and serve you. Thank you for the blessings in life. Lord, and thank you for the opportunity to serve and share these blessings with others. Sorry for the times I keep them to myself. Sorry for not loving others the way you asked me to. Sorry for holding back. I pray that I may be able to show my love for you as I love others. Help me be sensitive to the needs of others, and help me be willing to step out of my comfort zone to love and serve others. May my actions make your love more alive and more real in the lives of others and in this world. Amen.

Blessed Week!

In Christ,
-g-

Ps see related reflections:

February 22, 2021
1st Week of Lent - Monday; Chair of Saint Peter

FIRST READING

The LORD said to Moses,
“Speak to the whole assembly of the children of Israel and tell them: Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy. 

“You shall not steal. You shall not lie or speak falsely to one another. You shall not swear falsely by my name, thus profaning the name of your God. I am the LORD. 

“You shall not defraud or rob your neighbor. You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your day laborer. You shall not curse the deaf, or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD. 

“You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment. Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty, but judge your fellow men justly. You shall not go about spreading slander among your kin; nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbor’s life is at stake. I am the LORD. 

“You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. Though you may have to reprove him, do not incur sin because of him. Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

R. (John 6:63b) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life. 

The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. 

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life. 

The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart. The command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye. 

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life. 

The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; The ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just. 

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life. 

Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart find favor before you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. 

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL

Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

GOSPEL

Jesus said to his disciples:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

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