Praised be Jesus and Mary. In the first reading today, Moses tells us that we've
been made a people, peculiarly the Lord's own. And because we are his own people, his
chosen people, Moses tells us that we must follow his commandments and statutes, and
that by following them, we're going to find life.
We're going to be like God. In other words, we're going to act as God acts. The whole
point of the law is that the people would become more like God. You know, we are already
made in his image and likeness. Now, we have to act in his image and likeness. God is a
God. He gave us laws that we would know how to live our lives. But of course, you know,
this is not an easy task because a fallen human nature doesn't like being told what
to do. We have to die to ourselves and be willing to say, I put my own self aside in
order to do what someone else wants. But, you know, when we're certain that it's what
God is asking, then we know that it's best. That it's perfect and that it's not going
to violate us in any way. But even with this knowledge, we still don't like to be obedient.
Yet, you know, if we're willing to be obedient to the commandments of God and do what he
has asked, then we must now look at the New Testament because it's not just a series of
laws that we have to follow, but rather it's the heart. You know, Jesus tells us that we
must love.
We must love even our enemies. We must pray for our persecutors. And he says that we must
be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect. Now, the only way that's going to happen is
when we learn to love. Scripture tells us.
God is love. And if we're made in the image and likeness of God, redeemed by Jesus and
now children of God, then we must be like God in all things. We are to love. Which is
easy, you know, for those who love us. But our Lord says, you know, what merit is there
in that?
Pagans and sinners do.
The same. You know, Jesus raises the bar and says, love your enemies. You know, pray for your
persecutors. You know, that's how you're going to demonstrate that you are truly children of your
Heavenly Father.
Now, once again, that's not easy for us to do.
It means...
It means going way beyond ourselves to actually love the people who hate us. You know, that's
easier said than done. We naturally tend toward retaliation and vengeance. You know, we're
normally filled with anger and we want bad things to happen to those who hate us. And we're
usually not.
But God says that we need to desire the very best, even for the people who desire the very worst for
us. We need to pray for the people who make our lives difficult.
We must remember that in the spiritual life, things are very difficult.
It is a very personal matter and the fact is a very personal thing to me.
There's a quicket that never runs out.
It would make a big difference for someone else if not me.
The thing is that sometimes we know, we're�.
And then obviously, sometimes the answer is that it's the devil is, but then we need to tell
different from the way they are on a natural level, spiritually speaking. It's the people
we consider our enemies that are our very best friends, because they are the ones who
are going to help us more than anyone to grow in virtue. They are the ones who require us
to practice patience, charity, and forgiveness. They are the ones who help direct us to God,
because they help us to die to self. On the natural level, those are the people that we
want to run away from and avoid. If we are going to take up the spiritual life, you will
life and grow in holiness, God will put those difficult people right in our path because
that's the only way that we're going to grow.
The people we would call our friends are not really going to help us grow as much because
they don't challenge us the same way.
They like the things that we like, and we get along with them.
So it's not nearly as difficult, and it doesn't require the same kind of virtue.
So if we're going to be able to practice holiness, if we're going to be able, if we're going
to love as God loves.
He's going to put difficult people in our paths and then say to us, you know, do not
run away from them, love them, pray for them, be kind to them, you know, treat them with
charity.
Then we will be striving to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect.
It's not easy so we need to move on.
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