7th Sunday in Ordinary Time A

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time A

 

Takiya Holmes - eleven year old child died past Tuesday from the bullet wound - she was shot by a stray bullet February 11 on a South Side of Chicago. Disheartening news, too many similar we hear like that. What is special, what is amazing about this particular one is the fact parents decided organ donation of their doughter. An amazing sacrificial act of love in a terrible pain and senseless loss of a child in a crime.

 

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father. Immediately needs to be said that this doesn’t mean we have to endure abuse, disrespect. We need to set clear boundaries about the others behavior towards us.

 

Going back to the Gospel passage. This is part of The Sermon on the Mount. Two weeks ago we heard about The Beatitudes. What does it mean to be meek? What does it mean to be merciful? Today we were listening the explanation.

 

The Gospels were written well after Jesus' death and resurrection. The Community of Christians was reflecting Jesus's life and his teaching. What Jesus thought about love, even to the enemies he lived himself to the end. Sermon on the Mount is fulfilled first of all and completely in Jesus' example.

 

We are named Christian’s after whom? After Jesus Christ! We are called to follow His example. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?

Do not the tax collectors do the same? Really: how I live differently because I'm a Catholic? By loving those who are annoying to me? Praying for them?

 

Love is the best response Jesus is teaching us. And parents of an eleven years old girl on a South Side of Chicago are teaching us. If they are Christian’s or not: they might well examine our concise how we live the gift of faith we received.

 

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? That's a very important reminder. We are not left on our own to live up to the name we carry as Christian’s. We need to be willing to open the doors of our lives and our hearts to God, to Jesus's Spirit, to the Holy Spirit. He will make us not just believers but witnesses of Christ who didn't just love his enemies and died, but rose again and is among us. We are His temple as a community and his Spirit lives among us. Let Him in: today at this mass!