Insights from Deacon Mathew: February 20, 2022

Homily from Sunday February 20th 2022: Be Merciful just as your Father is.

We have a very challenging gospel that takes us to the heart and soul of Christian life. The 2nd reading says, “And just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, (that is Adam) we will also bear the image of the one of heaven”. Jesus Christ, the second Adam came to us so that we may have life, abundant life and eternal life. Every Christian is living a journey of hope to this eternal life. Jesus understands the difficulties we face in our spiritual journey and helps us today to overcome them.

Today’s Psalm reminds us that “the lord is merciful and gracious”. We all have experienced and continue to experience the love and Mercy of God irrespective of our sinfulness and shortcomings. So today Jesus is asking us, “If God can be so loving and merciful, why can’t we love and be merciful towards our brothers and sisters. God wants us to be living instruments of His Mercy by imitating His mercy. Recognizing the love and mercy of God and acting on practicing them in our life will help us in our own holiness. In that context, today’s gospel message is challenging and hard hitting. Jesus is not telling us what to do on the outside, but how “to be on the inside”. If we look at these teachings with the lens of mindset of our society, we will find it strange. For example:

• Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Let us ask ourselves, who has hurt us or mistreated us in some way? How can we pray for this person?

• Forgive and you will be forgiven. Let us ask ourselves, whom do I need to forgive today? From whom do I need to seek forgiveness? Am I ready to work on it?

• For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you. How often do I hold myself and others to unrealistic standards? How can I be more generous with others and with myself?

• LOVE YOUR ENEMIES. It doesn’t mean t tolerating them or accepting them for the sake of accepting but ‘love them. Who is the person I treated like that recently?

We all fall for human instincts of selfishness, worldly practice of retaliation, unforgiveness and the list goes on. At the same time, we are receiving love, graces, blessings, forgiveness, and mercy daily from God despite our many sins, and infidelities. But we must remember that all these traits will lead us to negative mental attitude and lack of peace within us.

It is easy for us to love, forgive, and be merciful to people who are good to us. But it is challenging and perhaps difficult to love, forgive and be merciful to people who are not in our good books. Jesus provides the perfect solution in such situation. “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful”. That is why Jesus said, do not judge, love your enemies, practice forgiveness, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who mistreat you. It takes courage, great effort and grace of God to do so. Let us ask God for the graces to follow these teachings today as we embark on the “Lenten season.”

When we pray the Lord’s Prayer let us pay special attention to this petition: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Let’s ask ourselves, are we consistent with this prayer? Remember, Jesus didn’t retaliate, instead He prayed for His executioners from the cross. God wants us to be righteous and holy and God will reward the righteous. Being merciful like our God… is the key.