SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME FEBRUARY 20, 2022

MASS READINGS

A reading of the holy Gospel according to 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 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.”

REFLECTION

“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."

God dwells in me. How can I have a fuller love and life with God when my thoughts, desires and dreams take me someplace else? Jesus is calling me to a different way of living, behaving and responding to people whom I call my enemy.

How does one treat an enemy? What or who is my enemy? Is it someone who disagrees with me? Or someone who deceives me, finally gets on my nerves after patiently working with them? Or is it someone who has done or has the potential to do harm to my family or me? A particular situation and people involved will help me react appropriately.

It is impossible for me to simply love someone who is against me. But Jesus said, “Love your enemy”.

With God's graces I can hold my tongue, say what is appropriate, try to mend the disagreement: but can I love them? The experience I have of love is the love of a man with a woman, love of my family, love of the poor and the sick and the love of Jesus.

With faith I believe that God gives me the graces to love my enemy: do good to them, bless them and pray for them. Following His teachings is hard but when the Lord sets the standards, He knows it can be accomplished.

With Jesus as my helper and protector and a Divine example on how to behave and live, I can only, through Him, be able to love as He loves. Pray as He prays.

PAPA FACEZBS is a commitment, requires effort on our part, requires participation but it shows us how to live as Jesus, to do as Jesus, to think as Jesus, to speak as Jesus and to have a relationship as Jesus has with His Father and His apostles. Please join us as we journey our way to heaven with the guidance of a theologian. Some of us will get there sooner or later, maybe with the help of many prayers. But our hope is to get to our eternal final destination and bring some souls with us! Here's the latest video of the bible study.

" The Lord is kind and merciful."

God Bless You