I came across a post saying, “My family in Gaza are now all martyred (dead). I do not need your condolences and I do not need your prayers. I knew this would happen and I had prepared myself for this moment. What I need is a ceasefire.”

Troubled, I clicked on the post and went to their profile, where I saw a timeline full of real-time war updates. I found it unfair that while I lay in bed, safe and comfortable, there are people dying on the other side of the world because of evil people. Frustrated, I prayed, “God, they are so, so evil. How could they do such a thing? I want to hate them.” But in the silence, I heard His voice. “My child, they are Mine too.”

It stopped me dead in my tracks. Jesus died for our enemies too. It doesn’t make them less evil, and it doesn’t justify what they did by any means. But it’s humbling to realize that Jesus died for them—and everyone—just as He died for me, a sinner, as well. It didn’t make me feel better, but it helped put things in perspective. God is God of all, and if He could save me, then He could save them too. 

Karren Renz P. Seña (karren.sena@gmail.com)

reflect

Do you have trouble forgiving or understanding someone? Don’t change them. Don’t fight them. Pray for them instead. 

Lord, when I can’t forgive others, help me see them through Your eyes. 

Saints Valerius and Rufinus, pray for us.

Christ calls us all to be messengers of reconciliation, of the Good News of our salvation. May we hear that call and respond to it. The more we live the fullness of the Gospel, the stronger our Christian communities will become. The stronger our communities, the more effective we will be in witnessing the power of faith at work in us.

¹⁴ Brothers and sisters: The love of Christ impels us, once we have come to the conviction that one died for all; therefore, all have died. ¹⁵ He indeed died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. ¹⁶ Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh; even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him so no longer. ¹⁷ So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. ¹⁸ And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.  

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12

R: The Lord is kind and merciful.

 ¹ Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all my being, bless his holy name. ² Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. (R) ³ He pardons all your iniquities, he heals all your ills. ⁴ He redeems your life from destruction, he crowns you with kindness and compassion. (R) ⁹ He will not always chide, nor does he keep his wrath forever. ¹⁰ Not according to our sins does he deal with us, nor does he requite us according to our crimes. (R) ¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him. ¹² As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our transgressions from us. (R)   

Gospel | Matthew 5:33-37

To swear an oath rarely impresses people, especially when they are unnecessary. There is a time and place for a firm commitment to a cause or certain principles. However, they are in the daily walk of life unnecessarily. Jesus reminds us that a simple “yes” or “no” is all that is needed.

Gospel Acclamation

Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees; and favor me with your law.

³³ Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow. ³⁴ But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God’s throne; ³⁵ nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶ Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. ³⁷ Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the Evil One.”

Read the Bible in one year! Read 2 KINGS 4 - 6 today.

The Scriptures make it clear that Jesus is the only way to salvation. There is no other way to have our sins forgiven than through the Cross of Jesus Christ. For Christians, this is very consoling, but what does it mean for those who do not believe in Christ? How are they going to be saved? The Good News is that the Church does recognize that the grace offered through Jesus Christ is available to all, and that the ultimate principle of judgment in this is not going to be a personal relationship with Jesus if, for example, the person has never heard the Gospel. It would be impossible to justify such a criterion and hold that we believe in a merciful God at the same time. 

The Church also teaches us that it is only through faith in Jesus Christ that we can attain salvation. Herein lies the impetus for evangelization. It is possible for God to save people outside the Christian faith, but their salvation will at best be only vaguely known by the individual. It is living a life of faith, through a personal relationship with Jesus, that brings a deeper certainty to the knowledge of salvation in our lives. 

This is why, as Christians, we have a duty and responsibility to share our faith with others. Christian faith is the best foundation upon which to build our lives as human beings, and if we are responsible for holding back this option from others, then we will be more harshly judged for failing in our responsibility to share our faith. 

Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

reflection questions

Are you ready to share the Gospel and your faith journey with those who do not know Jesus? If not, when are you going to be ready? The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.

Holy Spirit, please open my heart more fully to the call to be an evangelist—if not in word, then at least through the witness of my life to others. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ______________________________