The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/091318.cfm)
reminds me that loving as God does would bring great rewards.
The
first reading shows us Paul telling the Corinthians 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. 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
13, 2018
Thursday of the Twenty-third
Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 440
Lectionary: 440
Reading 1 1
COR 8:1B-7, 11-13
Brothers
and sisters:
Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up.
If anyone supposes he knows something,
he does not yet know as he ought to know.
But if one loves God, one is known by him.
So about the eating of meat sacrificed to idols:
we know that there is no idol in the world,
and that there is no God but one.
Indeed, even though there are so-called gods in heaven and on earth
(there are, to be sure, many "gods" and many "lords"),
yet for us there is
one God, the Father,
from whom all things are and for whom we exist,
and one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom all things are and through whom we exist.
But not all have this knowledge.
There are some who have been so used to idolatry up until now
that, when they eat meat sacrificed to idols,
their conscience, which is weak, is defiled.
Thus, through your knowledge, the weak person is brought to destruction,
the brother for whom Christ died.
When you sin in this way against your brothers
and wound their consciences, weak as they are,
you are sinning against Christ.
Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin,
I will never eat meat again,
so that I may not cause my brother to sin.
Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up.
If anyone supposes he knows something,
he does not yet know as he ought to know.
But if one loves God, one is known by him.
So about the eating of meat sacrificed to idols:
we know that there is no idol in the world,
and that there is no God but one.
Indeed, even though there are so-called gods in heaven and on earth
(there are, to be sure, many "gods" and many "lords"),
yet for us there is
one God, the Father,
from whom all things are and for whom we exist,
and one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom all things are and through whom we exist.
But not all have this knowledge.
There are some who have been so used to idolatry up until now
that, when they eat meat sacrificed to idols,
their conscience, which is weak, is defiled.
Thus, through your knowledge, the weak person is brought to destruction,
the brother for whom Christ died.
When you sin in this way against your brothers
and wound their consciences, weak as they are,
you are sinning against Christ.
Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin,
I will never eat meat again,
so that I may not cause my brother to sin.
Responsorial Psalm PS 139:1B-3,
13-14AB, 23-24
R.
(24b) Guide me, Lord, along the
everlasting way.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother's womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Probe me, O God, and know my heart;
try me, and know my thoughts;
See if my way is crooked,
and lead me in the way of old.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother's womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Probe me, O God, and know my heart;
try me, and know my thoughts;
See if my way is crooked,
and lead me in the way of old.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
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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