Reading 1 Dt 26:16-19
Moses spoke to the people, saying:
"This day the LORD, your God,
commands you to observe these statutes and decrees.
Be careful, then,
to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.
Today you are making this agreement with the LORD:
he is to be your God and you are to walk in his ways
and observe his statutes, commandments and decrees,
and to hearken to his voice.
And today the LORD is making this agreement with you:
you are to be a people peculiarly his own, as he promised you;
and provided you keep all his commandments,
he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory
above all other nations he has made,
and you will be a people sacred to the LORD, your God,
as he promised."
Responsorial Psalm Ps 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8
R. (1b) Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
You have commanded that your precepts
be diligently kept.
Oh, that I might be firm in the ways
of keeping your statutes!
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
I will give you thanks with an upright heart,
when I have learned your just ordinances.
I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Gospel Mt 5:43-48
Jesus said to his disciples:
"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 and sisters only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Meditation: Matthew 5:43-48
“He makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45)
Hang on a minute! Isn’t that unfair? Why don’t the good and the just get special treatment? At the very least, the bad and the unjust should get the shorter end of the stick. If God is perfectly just, then shouldn’t that be the way things go? Well, not really. God’s justice encompasses something much more profound than a heavenly balance sheet. And that’s a good thing for us. For in the end, we are all sinners, aren’t we?
It’s still the early days of Lent. Now is a good time to ask yourself what you want to get out of this season—fairness or love? Our heavenly Father is perfect, and Jesus tells us to be like him. What makes him perfect? Is it only that he is fair? Not exactly. If that were the case, none of us would be in very good shape. Even though we are made in God’s image, we have all sinned. None of us really merits heaven on our own. If we ask God for fairness, we will get both sides of the coin: reward for our good actions, but punishment for the bad.
Thank God that his justice, his fairness, his wisdom, and all his attributes find their perfection in his love! It is love that makes him merciful to those who don’t deserve it, and that includes you! He loves you, receives you, and calls you his child despite your sin. This is the triumph of divine love! And it is the perfection of God’s justice!
Don’t waste your time comparing yourself with other people. It’s not worth the headache! Instead, simply rejoice that God’s mercy triumphs over human judgment—every time! And today in particular, with this Gospel passage in mind, look up into the sky. If it’s sunny out, praise the Lord for shining on everyone— good and bad. If it’s rainy, thank him for bringing refreshing nourishment to everyone—saint and sinner. He is a merciful, loving, gracious God, and he wants to bless all of us!
“Father, I cannot thank you enough for your mercy! I put aside my demands for fairness, and take hold of your perfect love instead. May that love fill me to overflowing so that I can share your mercy— your perfection—with everyone around me.”
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