Gospel: June 17, 2025
June 17, 2025 (Tuesday)
11th Week in Ordinary Time
Psalter: Week 3 / (Green)
Ps 146:2, 5-6ab, 6c-7, 8-9a
Praise the Lord, my soul!
1st Reading: 2 Corinthians 8:1-9
Gospel: Matthew 5:43-48
You have heard, that it was said: Love your neighbor and do not do good to your enemy. But this I tell 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 both the wicked and the good; and he gives rain to both the just and the unjust. If you love those who love you, what is special about that? Do not even tax collectors do as much? And if you are friendly only to your friends, what is so exceptional about that?
Do not even the pagans do as much? As for you, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Reflection:
“Be generous in our giving and our forgiving.”
“Excel … in this generous service.” The readings today teach us that we are to be generous in our giving and our forgiving. By loving our enemy, we take a decisive step along the way of generous love, turning our back on hatred and retaliation. Love breaks the constant reactive pattern of revenge or feud. Someone must choose to be the first to extend the hand of peace for the warring to cease. Christ is calling us to make this choice by imitating God’s impartial love. Situations of conflict and civil unrest may call for protest or defense of the innocent. But we should not demonize those who attack us. Rather, we should recognize that they share a common humanity and God-given dignity. Only by seeing the other as neighbor and even future friend can one move beyond violence or hatred. Drawing upon today’s Gospel, Saint Maximilian Kolbe taught that we are not to love others just because they are nice or wealthy or worthy, or because they are grateful to us. Rather, united to God we are to be a friend to all, a friend who prays for all, suffers for all and wishes good for all.
