1Reflection for Sunday February 19, Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time; Matthew 5:38-48

Gospel: Matthew 5:38-48

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 as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand over your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.

“You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 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. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

+ + + + + + +

Reflection:

Are you capable of not keeping hatred in your heart? For example, when somebody hurts you, are you capable of not taking revenge? When someone strikes you on the right cheek could you turn the other side as well? Are you capable of not refusing somebody who wants to borrow from you? Can you love your enemies and can you still pray for those who’ve been persecuting and hurting you?

Jesus in the gospel gives us teachings that are very difficult for many of us to follow. We may wonder, why these teachings are very hard for us to follow? This is so for the reason that we are humans. We have our limitations we respond based on our limited human instinct.

We normally compartmentalize our fellowmen. For example we label them as those we hate and those we do not hate. Those we love and those we do not love, those who are good to us and those who are not good to us. Therefore, we respond to them according to what they give us.

However, the Lord invites us today to discard our mindset of compartmentalization and retaliation. He invites us to treat everyone equally regardless if this and that person is good or not good to us. He invites us to throw away our mindset of revenge. And finally He invites us all to be humble, to be loving and forgiving. – Marino J. Dasmarinas