February 23 : Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - Love your enemies

   
First Reading          :  Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18Psalm                      : Psalm 119:33-40 Second Reading     : 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23 Gospel                    : Matthew 5:38-48
Jesus tells his
disciples: “Do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you”. And
this is the liturgical theme for today: “love your enemies”. Humanly
speaking this is not an easy thing to do but Jesus wants us to aim higher than
the tax collectors. We are to imitate God’s perfection. When people hate their
enemies and resent them, they end up hurting themselves far more than they hurt
their enemies. The person we hate has the power to rob us of our peace of mind
and capacity to love. Our hatred is not hurting them at all. It only turns our
own days and nights into a hellish turmoil. There is a Chinese Proverb which
goes like this: "He who seeks vengeance must dig two graves: one for his
enemy and one for himself". It’s the same lesson we find in the Letter
to the Romans: “Do not let evil defeat you; instead, conquer evil with good”
(Rom 12:21).

February 16 : Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time - check your desires

First
Reading         :  Deuteronomy
30:15-20 or Sirach 15:15-20
Psalm                      : Psalm 119:1-8
Second Reading    : 1 Corinthians
3:1-9
Gospel                    : Matthew 5:21-37
Today's Gospel
invites us to understand the deeper meaning of religion and the difference
between observing the “letter of the law” and “the spirit of the law”.
It was Jesus’ teaching that it was not enough not to commit a sinful act
(like murder or adultery); the only thing sufficient was never even to wish
to commit a sinful act. It means that thoughts are just as important
as deeds, and that it is not enough not to commit a sin; the only thing that is
enough is not to wish to commit it. By Jesus’ standards a man is not a
good man until he never even desires to do a forbidden thing.

February 9 : 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Salt & Light

 First
Reading        :  Isaiah 58:1-9a
(9b-12)
Psalm                     : Psalm 112:1-9
(10)
Second Reading   : 1 Corinthians
2:1-12 (13-16)
Gospel                   : Matthew
5:13-20
 
So, when Jesus
says to his followers – “You are the salt of the earth”, it simply means that a
follower of Jesus must lend flavour to life, bringing joy & gladness,
happiness & peace, justice & love, care & concern, hope &
consolation, among whom he lives. Just as insipid salt is of no use in
flavouring or preserving food, so too the so-called 'disciples' are of no use if they fail to
live as Christ teaches. Jesus also says we are the light of the world. By itself light is no
good. It is only good when it shows us something other than itself. That is
what Christians are called to do - to live lives that show the presence of God
in the world. If we do not do this there is darkness and, without doubt, the
world is today in deep darkness in many ways. We Christians must ask ourselves
if we are giving out light.