Reflection

‘But I say to you that listen, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who persecute you, pray for those who abuse you’ (Luke 6:27).

In this text Jesus has a very challenging instruction for those who are listening.  The first question I need to ask myself, is am I listening?  Do I really open my heart and allow God’s word to penetrate and lead to a change in my heart and actions, or do I just allow it to go in one ear and out the other?  Let us pray firstly to be good listeners, to be present to people, to the moment, to the experience, and open and present to God in our prayer.  When we are truly listening we are going to be able to hear.

Secondly there is this call to love.  In the Christian understanding this means action, freely given.  Love is a gift of self, given freely to the other and is willing the good of the other person and acting for the good of the other.  In this text Jesus is calling us to always, with all people desire and act for their good.  Even those we find most challenging, we are invited to pray for, will and act for their good. 

Let us ask Jesus to help us to love like Him.  In the little things when we are with people to think of their needs before ours, to listen and be attentive to them.  To act and speak in a way that others would appreciate, thinking of them first before ourselves.  This is very difficult to do, if not impossible (especially with people we find challenging) if we rely on our own strength.  However if we ask God, who is love, to help us, to fill and ignite our heart with His love, we can find that suddenly we can do things we never dreamed off and often receive a great joy in doing this. 

Let us take a few moments to truly sit with and listen to this invitation to love.  To allow this word of Jesus to affect our hearts.

Let us now think of those people we find challenging and pray for them and ask God to help us to will and act for their good and when we are with them.

Jesus help us to listen to Your voice.  Help us all to love like You.

Holy Family of Nazareth – be our inspiration and our guide.

Jesus of Nazareth – Help us to grow in faith, wisdom and knowledge.