Command to Love!

The gospel acclamation for today is clear and to the point, "I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you." The call to love is a great gift and our Lord wants us to live it each and everyday. So much so, that he gave us a challenge in the gospel for today as well. In Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus says, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." That is definitely a challenge because sad to say we do have enemies and people that do not like us. If we cannot change their mind and heart, then God can and we need to let Him do His work. That is why we need to pray for those people. Each day we can pray for the gift of love. We know how much God loves us because He sent His only Son to be our Savior. As Jesus concludes in Matthew's Gospel, "Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." We strive for perfection, faithfulness, and holiness. These are wonderful gifts and we pray that God will grant us the grace and strength that we need to live that perfection and always be a people of love. God Bless You!!!