1ST WEEK OF LENT
Psalter: Week 1 / (Violet)
Ps 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8
Blessed are they who follow
the law of the Lord!
1st Reading: Dt 26:16-19
On this day, Yahweh, your God, commands you to fulfill these norms and these commandments. Obey them now and put them into practice with all your heart and with all your soul.
Today Yahweh has declared to you that he will be your God, and so you shall follow his ways, observing his norms, his commandments and his laws, and listening to his voice.
Today Yahweh has declared that you will be his very own people even as he had promised you, and you must obey all his commandments. He, for his part, will give you honor, renown and glory, and set you high above all the nations he has made, and you will become a nation consecrated to Yahweh, your God, as he has declared.
Gospel: Mt 5:43-48
You have heard, that it was said: Love your neighbor and do not do good to your enemy. But this I tell you: love your enemies; and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in Heaven. For he makes his sun rise on both the wicked and the good; and he gives rain to both the just and the unjust.
If you love those who love you, what is special about that? Do not even tax collectors do as much? And if you are friendly only to your friends, what is so exceptional about that? Do not even the pagans do as much? As for you, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Reflections
PRAY FOR THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU
Sometimes, we feel that Jesus is asking impossible things from us — like this one. How can we love someone who just humiliated us, spread all sorts of false stories about us, destroyed our good name? How can we love people who hate us or show how much they despise or look down upon us. And worse still, how can we pray for those who are persecuting us, have us falsely accused, arrested and detained? And yet yes, that is what we are enjoined to do because it is but natural to love people who love us, to appreciate those who do good to us, show us appreciation or even admiration. But to be a follower of Christ demands more. We have to do what does not come naturally to us. And by ourselves, we cannot do this. We have to ask God’s grace to look at the good side of people, to forgive their actions against us. Maybe what can help is to remind ourselves that God sees something good in them and so we ask God to let us see this good that is in them. And as we know with God nothing is impossible – even loving those who hate us and praying for those who persecute us.
Daily Reflection 2018
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Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL
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