Bible Diary

Daily Reading

Saturday of the First Week of Lent

LECTIONARY
229

FIRST READING

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."

PSALM

PS 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8

Response: 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.

You have commanded that your precepts
be diligently kept.
Oh, that I might be firm in the ways
of keeping your statutes!

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.

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."

Daily Reflection

In the Gospel, Jesus enlightens his disciples about the commandment of love – loving not only those who love you but also those who persecute you - He challenges them to love their enemies.

Easier said than done, right? But Jesus led by example. He loved those who were against His ministry on earth and those who sinned against His Father in Heaven. And now, He invites us to follow Him.

But why would Jesus ask us to ‘love our enemies’? Love has the ability to soothe and heal, strengthen and uphold. Love confronts evil and conquers fear. Love can actually make the world a better place! Anything with that kind of power can’t possibly be easy to do, but that does not make it impossible.