Daily Gospel Reflection for June 17, 2014

Today's Gospel: Matthew 5:43-48

The hard part of this Gospel teaching today is the “be perfect” part. Today our culture seems to be all about being perfect; having the perfect education, the perfect body, the perfect job, the perfect house with the perfect decor, the perfect school for our children, etc. On and on and on we go seeking perfection in this world. But Jesus tells us in this passage until we love our neighbor as ourselves our level of real perfection cannot be reached. Our neighbor doesn’t only include those we want to love but also those we struggle to love. Saint John Paul II taught in his theology of the body, Man and Woman He Created Them, that we must recognize every human being as a creation in the image and likeness of God. We’re all equal in dignity, even the potty-mouthed guy wearing solid black with purple hair. He also taught that we need to look within the person and remember that we have no idea what experiences in life have brought them to this place. So our only option is to love, both our neighbor and our enemy. Only then will we come close to the perfection of our heavenly Father.

Ponder:

What is my reaction at the sight of inappropriate behavior of another?

Pray:

Father, help me to love as you love, seeing others through the eyes of the heart. Amen.

Copyright 2014 Diane Schwind