“For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?” – Matthew 5:46

     When I was a new employee in Shepherd’s Voice, I was eager to make friends. I went to the Accounting Department and approached one of the girls I had met earlier. I asked if she would like to attend our community’s prayer meeting sometime. She gave me a stern look and, with a raised eyebrow, replied, “No, thanks,” then turned away. I complained to God, “I thought this was a Catholic company and that good people work here.” And I felt Him ask, “So what are you going to do about it?”

       I took the Lord’s challenge. I went on greeting people, particularly that crabby girl from Accounting. Most of them were pleasant and greeted me back, save for one. Imagine my surprise when this girl went to me one day and said, “I’m sorry I was rude to you. I know you’re just trying to be friendly.” Since then, she and I have become good friends. We would go to Mass, have dinner and just talk over cups of coffee and dessert. When I was depressed, she never asked me why. She just called me every day to ask how I was and said, “We can get through this together.” I am honored to have her trust, as she has mine.

       Is there a difficult person you’d love to hate? Maybe Jesus is telling you: “That’s the one I want you to love. After all, I love you, sins and all.” Dina Pecaña (dina.p@shepherdsvoice.com.ph)

Reflection:“Love difficult people like you were made for the job.” (Bob Goff)

Father, may I persevere in loving the unlovable. Amen.

St. John Ogilvie, pray for us.

Moses outlines the covenant that the people have made with the Lord. It is not an agreement of equals. God promises and commits to us far more than what He asks of us. To honor the covenant, we simply follow the Law and the will of God.

16 “This day the Lord, your God, commands you to observe these statutes and decrees. Be careful, then, to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. 17 Today you are making this agreement with the Lord he is to be your God and you are to walk in his ways and observe his statutes, commandments and decrees, and to hearken to his voice. 18 And today the Lord is making this agreement with you: you are to be a people peculiarly his own, as he promised you; and provided you keep all his commandments, 19 he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory above all other nations he has made, and you will be a people sacred to the Lord, your God, as he promised.”

R: Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

1 Blessed are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord. 2 Blessed are they who observe his decrees, who seek  him with all their heart. (R) 4 You have commanded that your precepts be diligently kept. 5 Oh, that I might be firm in the ways of keeping your statutes! (R) 7 I will give you thanks with an upright heart, when I have learned your just ordinances. 8 I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me. (R)

Jesus teaches us that we should love our neighbor in the way we love ourselves. The call to love is fundamental to the Christian way of life. Let us pray for the grace to love a little more each day. Growing in our capacity and willingness to love is to grow in perfection.

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

43 Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, 45 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. 46 For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brothers and sisters only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? 48 So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

think: Who is the “enemy” that Jesus calls you to love? How do you express your love for this person?

Read the Bible in one year Revelation 11-14

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

thank You, Lord, for: ______________________________________________________

PRAY FOR OUR ENEMIES

How many times have we grumbled about someone else’s behavior? How often do we find ourselves frustrated with the way someone else does things, that is different from our own, or we felt slighted, mistreated or spoken down to? There are always people in our lives who, through our own failings or theirs, or through miscommunication, we decide to write off or maybe complain to our friends and say, “I can’t believe what so and so did!” And Jesus even asksus to pray for our enemies.

       Lent is a good time to look back on our lives and name the people who have annoyed, hurt or abused us. Rather than demanding retribution, we should pray for them and truly ask God to help them to discover His love. Why love them and pray for them?

       Jesus said that we are to be perfect, as our heavenly Father is perfect, and our God is a God of mercy. Therefore, true perfection — the highest road — is one of mercy, not of vengeance or dismissal. God gives life and the beauty of His gifts and grace to all people, even to those who seek to destroy it. And for those of us who understand how hurtful we have been when we betrayed God and ignored His love, aren’t we glad that He is merciful and loves those who do evil? Let us therefore try to imitate Him and show mercy to those who do not deserve it — and pray that one day they, too, may imitate God’s mercy and love. Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD

---------- REFLECTION QUESTION ----------

How do you react when you hate somebody because of their evildoings?

Lord, You demand much from me. But when I think how often You had reasons to detest me but continues to love me — yes, Lord, that touches me. Help me to do what You ask me today: love and pray for those who did me wrong. Amen.