“Five times at the hands of the Jews I received forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I passed a night and a day on the deep; on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own race, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst, through frequent fastings, through cold and exposure. And apart from these things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches.” (2 COR 11: 24-28)
Who we are to say that we have difficult days? If we compare our comfortable lives with St. Paul’s missions we are really lucky. Some of these experiences are still common also for us: “sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst, through frequent fastings, through cold and exposure.” Today we can be very grateful that we can participate in the same difficulties when we are in mission.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (MT 6: 7-8)
There is always a temptation to think that Our Lord’s attention depends on our words. It is good to formulate our prayers in words; it helps us to be conscious of what we do, but we can express our love and trust as well as our hope and faith in our hearts and actions too.
“You have received a spirit of adoption as sons through which we cry: Abba! Father!” (Gospel Acclamation)
“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.” (MT 5: 44-45)
To be called “children of heavenly Father,” is not only an amazing honor, but also some responsibilities: we need to change the way we think from this world’s perspective to Our Lord’s perspective; His love is total, with no exceptions, no limits and no conditions: “love one another as I have loved you.”
“I give you a new commandment; love one another as I have loved you.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“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.” (MT 5: 44-45)
The new life we received needs a new life-style. Loving only those who are close to us and easy to love is easier than “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Our Lord invites us to follow Him, Who “makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.” Being like the sun means to be yourself, just shine, because this is your nature; the sun doesn’t depend on somebody’s humor.
“I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have heard that it was said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.’” (MT 5: 38-39)
This is a difference started with Our Lord and the New Testament. And this is a difference in our lives when we decided to follow Our Lord and to trust Him, not to make choices based on “political correctness” or what the majority think. We are His children and we want to follow His rules.
“A lamp to my feet is your word, a light to my path.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.” (JN 16: 13-15)
We, like children, need to be guided to “all truth.” As children we met our Guardian Angels; we learned who Jesus is, and later we learned how to pray the Our Father. We met Our Lady and other saints, our patrons. Later we met the Holy Spirit and started learning about God, Who is One and lives in Three Persons. Now we know much more about unity which doesn’t need uniformity, different activities and different roles serve the same purpose and identity, respecting diversity. The Solemnity of the Holy Trinity every year brings more and more gifts.
“Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; to God who is, who was, and who is to come.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” (2 COR 5: 18-19)
Who we are, that we became “ambassadors for Christ,” serving with “the ministry of reconciliation?” It is not because we are extremely talented in this field or possessing special gifts; it is because we know reconciliation from our own lives, we who received the gift of reconciliation from our God, “Who has reconciled us to himself through Christ” and “entrusted to us the message of reconciliation.” We know how important this is in marriage and family life. There is no option for growing without reconciliation.
“Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees; and favor me with your law.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“We hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the Body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.” (2 COR 4: 7-10)
We are sometimes so upset with our “earthen vessels.” We forget that this have some important reasons: “that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.” We are not living for ourselves; our lives have a better and bigger purpose—“so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.” We are His children, and we are invited to “shine like lights.”
“Shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (MT 5: 23-24)
“Your brother”—it could be our spouse, our child, our friend or our coworker. It is so important for every relationship, but especially for the family and marriage, to finish every day with a word of apology and with a word of gratitude. God’s word is very simple: “go first,” don’t wait for your “more guilty” spouse or don’t look for excuses (it was my boss, who made me late home); just “go first.” Make it simple. And big.
“I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” (MT 5: 19)
“Obeys and teaches” needs to go together. When we teach without observing, our teaching is empty; when we obey without teaching, we are not showing respect to God, Who wants us to proclaim the Good News with many; we become selfish.
“Teach me your paths, my God, and guide me in your truth.” (Gospel Acclamation)
