1 Cor 8:1b-7, 11-13 Ps 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 23-24 Luke 6:27-38

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer The Daily Reflections

In this Gospel passage Jesus talks a lot about how we should treat each other, especially when it comes to loving our enemies and forgiving others. These two things are extremely difficult for any person. Jesus gives us many challenges and obstacles but we are always encouraged to love one another! I am reading a book right now called, “Thrift Store Saints” by Jane Knuth. It is about a woman who shares inspiring stories of those she encounters at a thrift store she volunteers at. When I was reading this Gospel passage it reminded me of a specific scene from the book. There was a lady who was coming in because she needed clothes for a job interview and began to talk about her life, specifically her relationship with her father. She talked about her journey towards forgiveness towards him and how even when she felt she could not forgive her father, she would ask God to forgive him. This way she knew her father would be receiving forgiveness even if it was not from her. After years of praying for him, the hurt and betrayal she felt from him began to hurt a little less and she began to not only pray for him but forgive him. She related it back to the scene with Jesus on the cross when he said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”(Luke 23:34). Jesus was praying for their forgiveness just as she was praying for her father's.

Forgiveness is never easy. Loving our enemies and those who hurt us is never easy. But Jesus usually does not ask us to do the easy thing; he asks us to do whatever brings about the most love. A way to show love for others is through service. Another quote from the book that I liked was, “I think true charity is very rare. And it can appear in the least likely people."  Jesus talks about how it is easier to love someone who already loves us, but what is rare is loving someone who has hurt us. This kind of service is hard to come by today. Our challenge is to be one of those rare people, one of those people who are able to give so much love and forgiveness even if it means not receiving anything in return. That is what Jesus is calling us all to do. 

My challenge for myself, and you are welcome to join, is to take time to pray for someone who I am having a hard time forgiving or loving. I am going to try my best to go out of my way to show love to this person, for, just as Fr. Jerome Cummings said, “Love is shown in your deeds, not in your words." I pray that we are servants to all of God’s people and show love and kindness to everyone we meet.