--- title: Daily Readings Reflection for 6/16/09 description: Daily Readings Reflection for 6/16/09 --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2009/06/16/daily-readings-reflection-for-61609#) # Daily Readings Reflection for 6/16/09 Jun 16, 2009 4:00:19 AM  |  by [Guest](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/guest) Reflection on the Daily Readings for 6/16/09 by Fr. Bertrand Buby, SM [Today’s Readings](http://www.usccb.org/nab/) Scripture: Tue. of 3 week. II Cor. 8:1-9. Psalm 146:2.5-6.7.8-9. Matthew 5:43-48. Lectionary # 366: Jesus asks us to have unconditional love for all peoples. This love is called AGAPE  in the New Testament and is one of the main themes in John's lofty Gospel.  Here in Matthew we see it appear in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount and is the key to understanding what Jesus says about the call to perfection.  Unconditional love is totally selfless and is oriented toward the good of the other for the sake of the other.  Even our enemies are to be loved and only AGAPE  love can love one's enemies.  It is a spiritual love that encompasses forgiving, forgetting, and still patiently loving those whom we consider enemies.  In the history of the Church we know that many of the saints possessed such love.  We can think even of modern day saints like Mother Theresa and Theresa of Lisieux.  Early times gave us St. Ignatius of Antioch and St. Justin martyrs.  The Marianist martyrs of Spain and the Austrian Jakob Gapp testified to such love by the giving of their lives to the enemy through martyrdom. The Sermon on the Mount is not an impossible ideal but it is a challenging call to be like they were for Christ. We are to be "perfect" as God is perfect! (Matthew 5:48).  The word used for perfect is associated with obtaining our goal. In this case it would be union with God in the afterlife; here on earth it would be our striving to be other Christs in a world of terrorism, war, and greed. Yet, some Christians and other believers from other religions do obtain this goal.  Jesus is there especially for us Christians and he calls us to live out our lives with such love that results in "perfection."  Jesus calls us to realize we are created by God in the image and likeness of God.  That is the start toward the perfection of agape love. Jesus is not moralizing about this love; he is telling us that is what we are called to be and to do for the sake of God's kingdom. We become more like Christ by prayer, by receiving the sacraments, by being open to God's surpirses of grace each day and by carefully interiorizing the Scriptures which call us to holiness, even to perfection.  We are to "seek the things of God and not of human desires."  Today we can start in motion this type of love by purifying our motives in relationships and by seeking the love that Jesus  has already put within us by means of his creative and redeeming love. Matthew 19:21 is the only other passage where perfection is associated with agape love.  Karl Barth calls this love a complete dedication to God.  The context is that of the young man who did keep the commandments and was hoping to do much more.  "The  young man said to him, "I have done all these things, what do I need to do further?" Jesus told him," If you seek perfection, go, sell your possessions, and give to the poor. You will then have treasure in heaven. Afterward, come back and follow me." (Matthew 19:20-22). 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