Tuesday 14 June 2022

Today is Tuesday the 14th June, in the 11th week of Ordinary Time.

Paul Zach with the Porter’s Gate sings, ‘The Greatest Commandment’.

Love the Lord your God
With all your heart and soul and mind
And love your neighbor as yourself
Love the Lord your God
With all your heart and soul and mind
And love your neighbor as yourself
Let us be known, let us be known
By the way we love
Let us be known, let us be known
By the way we love
Love the Lord your God
With all your heart and soul and mind
And love your neighbor as yourself
Love the Lord your God
With all your heart and soul and mind
And love your neighbor as yourself
Love the Lord your God (Let us be known)
With all your heart and soul and mind (Let us be known)
And love your neighbor as yourself (By the way we love)
Love the Lord your God (Let us be known)
With all your heart and soul and mind (Let us be known)
And love your neighbor as yourself (By the way we love)
Love the Lord your God (Let us be known)
With all your heart and soul and mind (Let us be known)
And love your neighbor as yourself (By the way we love)
Love the Lord your God (Let us be known)
With all your heart and soul and mind (Let us be known)
And love your neighbor as yourself (By the way we love)
Love, love, love, the greatest commandment is
Love, love, love, the greatest commandment is
Love, love, love, the greatest commandment is love


Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 5:43-48

‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

In today’s reading, Jesus tells us to ‘Love our enemies.’
Who are your enemies? Perhaps ‘enemies,’ may seem too strong a word, but we could begin by thinking about those who are different to us, or those who challenge our way of doing things, or threaten our security, or those whom we remain unreconciled with.

Which faces come to mind as you think about these people?

Jesus also says, ‘Pray for those who persecute you.’

Sometimes words in prayer are too difficult to form, so simply continue to picture those who have come to mind as you sit with Jesus.

Jesus asks all this, ‘So that you may be children of your Father in heaven.’

As you listen to the reading again, what do you imagine as you hear these words?

Perhaps you can identify an area where you need a change of heart to become more like a child?

Talk with Jesus about this and ask for his help.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.