Daily Reflection | Gospel Reading | RVA

Gospel: Luke 9:28b-36 -
About eight days after Jesus had said all this, he took Peter, John and James, and went up the mountain to pray.
And while he was praying, the aspect of his face was changed, and his clothing became dazzling white. Two men were talking with Jesus: Moses and Elijah. Appearing in the glory of heaven, Moses and Elijah spoke to Jesus about his departure from this life, which was to take place in Jerusalem.

Peter and his companions had fallen asleep; but they awoke suddenly, and they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As Moses and Elijah were about to leave, Peter—not knowing what to say— said to Jesus, “Master, how good it is for us to be here! Let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” And no sooner had he spoken, than a cloud appeared and covered them; and the disciples were afraid as they entered the cloud.
Then these words came from the cloud, “This is my Son, my Beloved, listen to him.” And after the voice had spoken, Jesus was there alone.The disciples kept this to themselves at the time, telling no one of anything they had seen.

Lectio Divina
READ: God promises Abraham a new homeland. For Christians, as St. Paulnotes, this true home land is heaven. On a mountain, Christ shares with his disciples a glimpse of that heavenly glory.
REFLECT: In the lives of most Christians there are moments when we experienced deep clarity and insight—in reading a meaningful text, in a pro- found conversation, in an experience of
forgiveness or reconciliation. We may have wished to stay in that moment forever. But the moment passes and we return to ordinary life. How do we honor such moments, which disclose a deeper
dimension of reality? How do we remain faithful to the truths they revealed?
PRAY: Dear Lord, lead us in faith to our true homeland, and give us signs, even on this journey, of the promised land that lies ahead.
ACT: Recall a time when you felt you were standing on holy ground. What did this experience reveal to you? How have you kept faith with the lessons you learned?

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Matthew 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.

Reflection:
“Love your enemies.”
There is surely no more difficult commandment in scripture than Jesus’ words: “Love your enemies; and pray for those who persecute you.” It is the most human instinct in the world to wish harm to those who wish us harm. By the same token, it is natural to love those who love us in return. Jesus is set- ting a supernatural challenge. And yet that is precisely the distinguishing characteristic of a Christian. And if this were widely practiced by Christians it would represent an extraordinary revolution in values.
Of course love in action is not a matter of sentimental feelings. It may mean standing up to in- justice, and resisting the perpetrators of violence and corruption. Jesus does not deny the existence of enemies. And so we must understand that he is pro- posing a way of confronting or even resisting our enemies that does not dehumanize them or despair of their conversion. After all, God makes the sun rise on both the wicked and the good.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Matthew 5:20-26 -
I tell you, if your sense of right and wrong is not keener than that of the Lawyers and the Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
You have heard, that it was said to our people in the past: Do not commit murder; anyone who murders will have to face trial. But now, I tell you: whoever gets angry with a brother or sister will have to face trial. Whoever insults a brother or sister is liable, to be brought before the council. Whoever calls a brother or sister “Fool!” is liable, of being thrown into the fire of hell. So, if you are about to offer your gift at the altar, and you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there, in front of the altar; go at once, and make peace with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift to God.

Don’t forget this: be reconciled with your opponent quickly when you are together on the way to court. Otherwise he will turn you over to the judge, who will hand you over to the police, who will put you in jail. There, you will stay, until you have paid the last penny.

Reflection:
“Make peace with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift to God.”
Every society relies on laws to provide a minimal standard of order. Most people do not need a law to tell them not to commit murder. By the same to- ken, someone who is willing to murder another person is rarely restrained just by fear of breaking the law. The church has its own code of laws. But the essential teaching of the gospel is not written in any code or set of laws. If it is not inscribed in our hearts, then it makes no difference what the law says. Be merciful. Forgive one another. Love your enemies. The roots of violence and injustice are deeper than any law. They begin in our hearts, in our capacity for anger, hatred, and contempt to- ward others. It may begin with something as small as calling a brother or sister “Fool!”
By the same token the seeds of the kingdom are also in our hearts: when we forgive our brothers and sisters and those who frustrate us or do us harm. So serious is the call to be reconciled that it is a higher priority to make peace with our brother or sister than to go to Mass.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Matthew 7:7-12 -
Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives; whoever seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Would any of you give a stone to your son, when he asks for bread? Or give him a snake, when he asks for a fish? However bad you may be, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! So, do to others whatever you would that others do to you: there, you have the law and the prophets.

Reflection:
“Do to others whatever you would that others do to you.”
According to Jesus, the essence of true religion—“the law and the prophets” as he would say—is to“do to others whatever you would that others do you.” This has come down to us as“the Golden Rule.” We could memorize the catechism and the Code of Canon Law and it would profit us nothing if we violated this simple “Rule.”
And yet how often we fail this test? It is difficult enough to follow this practice with those close to us—our neighbors, family members, coworkers. But what of those we consider the intrinsic “Other”: those of other races, other nations, other religions? Oh, but “they” are different, they don’t like us, they wish us harm. Perhaps that is even true. But what if we truly believed that Jesus came precisely to break this cycle of distrust, recrimination, and enmity? What if the distinguishing characteristic of a follower of Jesus was a capacity to see beyond external differences and truly treat others as we would wish to be treated ourselves? We don’t give a snake to our child who asks for bread. Many children are asking for bread. What should we give them?

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019