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:
The story is told about a man who would always feel pain in his heart
whenever he sees her sister who had done him wrong. It was always like that for
many years until he had a near fatal heart attack. He reflected deeply about
what happened to him until he finally decided to forgive his
sister.
What will liberate us from hatred and negative emotion? Its forgiveness
and love. The moment we truly forgive and love every form of hatred and
negativity disappears in our hearts. We become free we exude nothing but
positive aura. 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 sickness, disgust and negativity. This could even result to the
disruption of our day hence 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 and negative emotions, we have to follow what
Jesus is telling us.
It’s only through forgiveness and humility that we would be free from
hatred. It’s only through the way of love that we could become true followers
of Jesus. There’s no other way but the way of love, humility and forgiveness.
Would you be willing to forgive those who’ve done you wrong? -
Marino J. Dasmarinas
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