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| “Mary Magdalene at the Foot of the Cross“ by Giovanni Battista Langetti, c. 1670 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: 2 Corinthians 8:1-9
Commentary on 2 Cor 8:1-9
CCC: 2 Cor 8:1-15 2833; 2 Cor 8:9 517, 1351, 2407, 2546
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 146:2, 5-6ab, 6c- 7, 8-9a
R. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Commentary on Ps 146:2, 5-6ab, 6c- 7, 8-9a
Psalm 146 is a hymn of praise and thanksgiving. Beyond the actions of man, God saves those who are faithful to him. All is vanity when a person’s trust is in human action. The people who have faith in God will find salvation, as sung in the litany of acts of God’s mercy presented in the final two strophes.
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Gospel: Matthew 5:43-48
Commentary on Mt 5:43-48
This passage is the second of six examples in St. Matthew’s Gospel of conduct demanded of the Christian disciple. The Lord extends the understanding of Mosaic Law. He first quotes Leviticus 19:18. Jesus tells the disciples once more that their behavior must be reflected in how they treat others, and must go beyond what was customarily understood. He tells his friends directly to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them (not curse them as was customary, also echoed in Romans 12:17-21). This exhortation differentiates Christians, who love even their enemies based upon requirements of their faith.
Jesus continues to reinterpret Mosaic Law. Here, he goes after the closed community. He tells the disciples, consistent with the instruction to “turn the other cheek,” to love not just those who love us but those who are our enemies as well.
He goes on to contrast the response expected from his disciples to the response customarily given (e.g. loving those who love you, greeting only one’s friends), asking: “Do not the pagans do the same?” The passage concludes with “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” He points out that to do less than that is human nature, but the Christian calling is to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect. Only in St. Matthew’s Gospel is the word “perfect” used. In St. Luke’s Gospel the word is “merciful.”
CCC: Mt 5:43-44 1933, 2844; Mt 5:44-45 2303, 2608; Mt 5:44 1825, 1968, 2262; Mt 5:45 2828; Mt 5:46-47 2054; Mt 5:47 1693; Mt 5:48 443, 1693, 1968, 2013, 2842
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Reflection:
The Gospel of Christ behaves like a very good mirror today. Jesus is continuing to instruct his disciples regarding the spirit of the Law. He takes a precept: “You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” And then he redefines that precept, giving God’s intended meaning: “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” As God’s adopted children, we are not allowed the animal instinct to fear and hate our enemies.
Seen with the eyes of Christ, those who persecute us, those who would take advantage of us, and those who seek to stop us from doing what is right are our brothers and sisters. They are not to be hated or feared, but to be viewed as fallen and in need of help. On the surface that may seem to be condescending. and that attitude among us is also wrong. Ours is to be the attitude of the parent of an adult child who is seen making a wrong decision. Does that parent hate the child they have loved and nurtured throughout their early life because they have, out of ignorance or weakness, made decisions or acted on impulses that lead them down dark paths?
A loving parent would certainly not condemn their child for that kind of action, even if the action were damaging or dangerous to the parent. In secular society, we can see what happens when the Christian ethic is withheld for a generation or two. When this concept of loving one’s enemies is not passed on to children, those children grown to adulthood cannot find it in their hearts to forgive, even their own children, and we see the destruction of the extended family.
Ironically it is most difficult to forgive one’s enemies when the enemy to be forgiven was once a close friend or family member. Those who have the deepest access to our feelings can cause the most pain, and consequently require the most forgiveness. It is for this reason that the lesson Christ teaches today is one that is most difficult to accept, and requires the most spiritual effort on our parts.
Today we look at ourselves in the light of this teaching. We see in the mirror that is the Gospel the light reflected that shows us how far we must go to become like Christ who, without condescension, loved those who hated him and forgave those who persecuted him. We pledge ourselves to forgiveness today, remembering that the person we may have to forgive first is ourselves. We also remember the wisdom of St. Augustine who famously said: “Resentment is like taking poison and hoping the other person dies.”
Pax
[1] The picture is “Mary Magdalene at the Foot of the Cross“ by Giovanni Battista Langetti, c. 1670.
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