A gentleman, walking down the streets was watching street kids playing in a field. He was intrigued to see some of them carrying smaller kids on their backs while running after their soccer ball. So, knowing their poor economic background, the gentleman said to one of the guys, “It is too bad that you have to carry a burden even when you play.” “He’s no burden, Sir!” came the answer from one, “he’s my brother.”
The Gospel of the Day is a powerful exhortation by Jesus to make a transition from considering people as a “burden” to accepting them as brothers and sisters. He challenges his disciples to rise above the norm. His teaching to love our enemies certainly goes against our feelings. How can we possibly love someone who makes us feel rejected: who causes us physical or financial pain: who puts a twist on stories about us to make themselves look good and us bad? Who holds a grudge against us even after we have apologized and made restitution?
Jesus knows that love is an emotion, a feeling. However, He wants us to go beyond our emotions and realize that love is not just a “feeling” but a “decision;” not just a “sensation” but a “commitment.” Love is a daring decision to forgive and forget an injury caused by a member of my family, a neighbor, a friend, or a co-worker. Love is a challenging commitment to understand and accept a person from whom we receive no love but only pain. Jesus wants us to live this radical love because we are all children of the same Father and consequently all are “brothers and sisters.”
Can we try this exercise today as we read the newspaper or watch cable TV? Every time we get mad at somebody in the media for something they do or say, pause for a moment to consider why they might be doing or saying what they are doing or saying. If we want to show radical love for the family members, friend, co-worker, or fellow citizen, either those we know personally or those we know from media, the command of Jesus is to love and pray for them, to have an insight into their situations and desire for the best for them. Let us pray that we can make this daring decision and challenging commitment to love your “brothers and sisters.”
- Father Jilson's inspirational homily was recorded live this morning during Mass at the Father Peyton Center. Please view the video on our Facebook page. (You don't need a Facebook account to view.)
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