THE WORD
Dt 26,16-19 / Mt 5,43-48
Jesus said to his disciples, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, 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. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
IN OTHER WORDS.
I used to cringe everytime I read this Gospel especially that part that says, “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect”. We have this saying, “mapanduw man ganinang kabaw nga upat ang tiil, sani na kahaang tawo” (even carabaos that have four feet stumble, how much more people). Just how in the world could anybody be perfect?
This passage is part of what is referred to in the Gospel of Matthew as The Sermon on the Mount wherein the overall theme is the relationship between the Father (God) and His children (us – supposedly).
I grew up in a unique family set-up. Nanay works and Tatay stays at home to do the household chores. Most importantly, Tatay was he who was with me and my siblings most of the time. I heard his stories everyday (mostly war stories), so I grew up admiring guns and dreaming of wars; I admired his social life (he had none), so I stayed at home most of the time; I idolized his communication skill (sound of silence), I reckon it’s because “silent rivers run deep”.
People have labeled me as “war freak”; a good number think I am “anti-social”; the seminary
tried but failed to kick me out because I didn’t ‘talk enough’. Tatay likes to joke that the first time he saw me he doubted whether I was “his.” Now, there is no shadow of a doubt whose son I am. I am PERFECTLY like him.
The call to perfection is not about becoming immaculate, spotless lambs, but rather an invitation to an intimate relationship with the most tender of Fathers, such that there wouldn’t be any iota of doubt as to whose children we are
- Fr. Dante Barril, SVD | Rome, Italy
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
