Gospel: Luke
6:27-38
Jesus
said to his disciples: “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to
those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and
from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to
everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not
demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love
those who love you what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love
them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to
you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect
repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get
back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and
lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be
children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the
wicked. Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.
“Stop judging
and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive
and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure,
packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For
the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.
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Reflection:
What will
liberate us from hatred? Its forgiveness, when we truly forgive every form of
hatred disappears in our hearts. We become free we exude nothing but positive
aura to our fellowmen. But human as we are we from time to time succumb to
hatred thus we allow it to control us instead of us controlling it.
What is
the cure for hatred? Its love, forgiveness and humility; these three can
conquer hatred. And it can free us from emotions that bring nothing to us but disgust.
This could even result to the disruption of our day and we will not be able to
function properly.
In our
gospel reading Jesus tells us to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate
us, to bless those who curse us, to pray for those who mistreat us (Luke
6:27-28). Difficult as it may seem; nonetheless if we want to be free from the
enslavement of hatred we have to follow what Jesus is telling us.
It’s only
through forgiveness that we would be free from hatred. It’s only through the
way of forgiveness and love that we could become true followers of Jesus.
There’s no other way but love and forgiveness.
Would you
be willing to forgive those who’ve hurt you? -
Marino J. Dasmarinas
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