HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 11TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II (2)

HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 11TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II

THEME: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven.

BY: Fr. Diotacious Chikontwe SMA

HOMILY FOR FRIDAY JUNE 14 2022

*READINGS OF THE DAY*
1 Kings 21:17-29
Psalm 50:3-6,11,16
Matthew 5:43-48

*LITURGICAL COLOUR*
Green

*INTRODUCTION*
Dear brethrens, if there is a teaching in the Holy Bible that is very difficult to understand and to put into practice is what we have heard in the Gospel of today, how can we honestly love our enemies? how can we love those who persecute us? those who talk bad about us? those who gossip about us and say all the bad things one would think of? how can we love these kind of people? when at times it is even difficult to love our neighbors as God commands us to do.

*LET US MEDITATE TOGETHER THE GOSPEL OF TODAY*
Dear friends in Christ, The most demanding call of Jesus in all of the gospels is probably to be found in this morning’s gospel reading. There Jesus calls on us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us. We would be tempted to say, ‘Surely, it is not humanly possible to love your enemies and to intercede in prayer for those who persecute us.
And in the end Jesus makes it more difficult by rounding off that teaching by calling on us to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.

*WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THE GOSPEL READING OF TODAY?*
Jesus speaks and teaches us of God’s love as a love without conditions attached. God does not only love those who love him. Rather God loves ‘bad as well as good’, those who return God’s love and those who do not. In this consists God’s perfection, according to Jesus. God is perfect in that his love is unconditional and, therefore, embraces all. What makes distinctions between people is how they respond to God’s love, the extent to which they allow God’s love to transform them.

*LET US PRAY*
Lord Jesus, I have fallen so many times. I hurt from all the wounds I have caused through my refusal to forgive my enemies. I am sorry. Please help me to see my enemies as you see them. Help me to be merciful as you are merciful. Jesus, I trust in you.
The Lord be with You!

Fr. Diotacious Chikontwe SMA