Mass Reading: Sunday - 23rd February 2025

 

First reading
1 Samuel 26:2,7-9,11-13,22-23
Do not lift your hand against the Lord's anointed

    Saul set off and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, accompanied by three thousand men chosen from Israel to search for David in the wilderness of Ziph.

    In the dark David and Abishai made their way towards the force, where they found Saul lying asleep inside the camp, his spear stuck in the ground beside his head, with Abner and the troops lying round him.

    Then Abishai said to David, ‘Today God has put your enemy in your power; so now let me pin him to the ground with his own spear. Just one stroke! I will not need to strike him twice.’ David answered Abishai, ‘Do not kill him, for who can lift his hand against the Lord’s anointed and be without guilt? The Lord forbid that I should raise my hand against the Lord’s anointed! But now take the spear beside his head and the pitcher of water and let us go away.’ David took the spear and the pitcher of water from beside Saul’s head, and they made off. No one saw, no one knew, no one woke up; they were all asleep, for a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen on them.

    David crossed to the other side and halted on the top of the mountain a long way off; there was a wide space between them. He called out, ‘Here is the king’s spear. Let one of the soldiers come across and take it. The Lord repays everyone for his uprightness and loyalty. Today the Lord put you in my power, but I would not raise my hand against the Lord’s anointed.’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 102(103):1-4,8,10,12-13

The Lord is compassion and love.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord
    all my being, bless his holy name.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord
    and never forget all his blessings.

The Lord is compassion and love.

It is he who forgives all your guilt,
    who heals every one of your ills,
who redeems your life from the grave,
    who crowns you with love and compassion.

The Lord is compassion and love.

The Lord is compassion and love,
    slow to anger and rich in mercy.
He does not treat us according to our sins
    nor repay us according to our faults.

The Lord is compassion and love.

As far as the east is from the west
    so far does he remove our sins.
As a father has compassion on his sons,
    the Lord has pity on those who fear him.

The Lord is compassion and love.

________

Second reading
1 Corinthians 15:45-49
The first Adam became a living soul; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit

    The first man, Adam, as scripture says, became a living soul; but the last Adam has become a life-giving spirit. That is, first the one with the soul, not the spirit, and after that, the one with the spirit. The first man, being from the earth, is earthly by nature; the second man is from heaven. As this earthly man was, so are we on earth; and as the heavenly man is, so are we in heaven. And we, who have been modelled on the earthly man, will be modelled on the heavenly man.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
cf.Ac16:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Open our heart, O Lord,
to accept the words of your Son.

Alleluia!

Or:
Jn13:34

Alleluia, alleluia!

I give you a new commandment:
love one another just as I have loved you, 
says the Lord.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Luke 6:27-38
Love your enemies

    Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I say this to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly. To the man who slaps you on one cheek, present the other cheek too; to the man who takes your cloak from you, do not refuse your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your property back from the man who robs you. Treat others as you would like them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks can you expect? For even sinners do that much. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount. Instead, love your enemies and do good, and lend without any hope of return. You will have a great reward, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.

    ‘Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

 

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 23rd February 2025

 

1 SM 26: 2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23; PS 103: 1-4, 8, 10, 12-13; 1 COR 15: 45-49; LK 6: 27-38

In today’s Gospel, taken from the sixth chapter of Luke, Jesus offers a very challenging, seemingly impossible approach to daily life. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak do not withhold even your tunic.”

It makes one want to say, “Seriously, Lord?” And He doesn’t stop there. Jesus adds, “Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.”

It seems so unfair! Unless, that is, we look at this way of life from a stewardship point of view. Then, not only does it seem doable (though challenging), but it also actually makes perfect sense. A steward understands clearly that all he has and all that he is — his very life — is a gift from God given to him from an unfathomable abundance of love. This changes everything! This means “my” cloak, “my” tunic, “my” money, and time — all of it ultimately belongs to God. He has entrusted these things to each of us in love to use for His purposes and His glory.

Does this mean we are to be passive “doormats” to anyone who wants to take advantage of us? Certainly not. Jesus explains this in the next verse of this passage when He says, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” As the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, Jesus understands human nature well. He knows that we naturally desire only good and nothing bad for ourselves. And there is nothing wrong with loving oneself since God loves us and has made us in His own image and likeness. Jesus is simply asking that we also approach others, and the sharing of our gifts, with this same attitude. He is giving us a definition here of real love, a steward’s love!

In fact, Jesus tells us that anything short of this is not love at all. “For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.”

We are made for much higher than that. Jesus says instead, “Love your enemies and do good to them and lend expecting nothing back.” That is true greatness in God’s view. When we love like that, He promises our “reward in heaven will be great.” A stewardship way of life is a life worth living because it is modeled after nothing less than our Most High God.

And if that is still not incentive enough to embrace this way of life, Jesus gives us one more bit of loving motivation. “Give and gifts will be given to you: a good measure, packed together, shaken down and overflowing will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” Our wonderful God and Father simply will not be outdone in love.

Be generous with your gifts — with your life — and just watch what He will do!

Mass Reading: Sunday - 19th February 2023

First reading

Leviticus 19:1-2,17-18

You must love your neighbour as yourself

    The Lord spoke to Moses; he said: ‘Speak to the whole community of the sons of Israel and say to them:

    ‘“Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.

    ‘“You must not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. You must openly tell him, your neighbour, of his offence; this way you will not take a sin upon yourself. You must not exact vengeance, nor must you bear a grudge against the children of your people. You must love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.”’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 102(103):1-4,8,10,12-13

The Lord is compassion and love.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord

    all my being, bless his holy name.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord

    and never forget all his blessings.

The Lord is compassion and love.

It is he who forgives all your guilt,

    who heals every one of your ills,

who redeems your life from the grave,

    who crowns you with love and compassion.

The Lord is compassion and love.

The Lord is compassion and love,

    slow to anger and rich in mercy.

He does not treat us according to our sins

    nor repay us according to our faults.

The Lord is compassion and love.

As far as the east is from the west

    so far does he remove our sins.

As a father has compassion on his sons,

    the Lord has pity on those who fear him.

The Lord is compassion and love.

________

Second reading

1 Corinthians 3:16-23

You belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God

    Didn’t you realise that you were God’s temple and that the Spirit of God was living among you? If anybody should destroy the temple of God, God will destroy him, because the temple of God is sacred; and you are that temple.

    Make no mistake about it: if any one of you thinks of himself as wise, in the ordinary sense of the word, then he must learn to be a fool before he really can be wise. Why? Because the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As scripture says: The Lord knows wise men’s thoughts: he knows how useless they are; or again: God is not convinced by the arguments of the wise. So there is nothing to boast about in anything human: Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life and death, the present and the future, are all your servants; but you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation

Jn14:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

If anyone loves me he will keep my word,

and my Father will love him, 

and we shall come to him.

Alleluia!

Or:

1Jn2:5

Alleluia, alleluia!

Whenever anyone obeys what Christ has said,

God’s love comes to perfection in him.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel

Matthew 5:38-48

Love your enemies

    Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have learnt how it was said: Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I say this to you: offer the wicked man no resistance. On the contrary, if anyone hits you on the right cheek, offer him the other as well; if a man takes you to law and would have your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone orders you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give to anyone who asks, and if anyone wants to borrow, do not turn away.

    ‘You have learnt how it was said: You must love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike. For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 19th February 2023

 

LV 19:1-2, 17-18; PS 103:1-4, 8, 10, 12-13; 1 COR 3:16-23; MT 5:38-48

“So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Talk about a high bar! This verse, at the end of today’s Gospel passage from Matthew, sets the tone for all the readings this week. In embracing stewardship as a way of life, we have a custom-made plan that, with a big dose of God’s grace, will move us towards the holiness of life to which Christ is calling us in this verse.
 
Our first reading, from Leviticus, lays out this theme immediately, as God instructs Moses to tell the whole community to, “Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy.” The call to holiness is for everyone because every one of us is made in the image and likeness of an all-holy God. This call should therefore not seem strange or unattainable — on the contrary, it is a call to become our truest selves. And even in this ancient passage, we find practical instruction in how to begin to attain holiness: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”
 
The first few verses of our second reading from Corinthians give a further reminder as to why we must live holy lives with this thought-provoking question, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” What great dignity we have as God’s own dwelling place. And what encouragement this should bring us — the call to holiness is possible because we have the Holy Spirit dwelling right within us!
 
The following verses from this passage show us that a life of holiness will not make sense in worldly terms, however. “If any one among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool, so as to become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God.” The stewardship way of life, giving away the best of our time, our talents, and our treasure to God for His glory and for the sake of others, is the path to holiness. Yet, it appears utterly foolish in the eyes of many.
 
In our Gospel passage from Matthew, our Lord takes this “foolish” concept even further with these illustrations of how we should give of ourselves and our things: “When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand over your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go for two miles.” And further still: “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Jesus teaches that this is the kind of action and attitude that will make us “children of [our] Heavenly Father.” This is the high bar of holiness to which our Lord is calling us.
 
If your lifestyle and your priorities look a little foolish to the world around you, know that you’re probably doing it right in God’s eyes. At the same time, you will be filled with a peace that the world around you desperately needs. And your stewardship way of life may just draw those around you to the heavenly Father and a life of holiness, too.
 
So, with God’s grace and the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, we can confidently press on in the stewardship way of life, aiming to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. Our all-holy God desires it and deserves nothing less.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 20th February 2022

The Liturgy of the Word

First reading
1 Samuel 26:2,7-9,11-13,22-23
Do not lift your hand against the Lord's anointed

    Saul set off and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, accompanied by three thousand men chosen from Israel to search for David in the wilderness of Ziph.

    In the dark David and Abishai made their way towards the force, where they found Saul lying asleep inside the camp, his spear stuck in the ground beside his head, with Abner and the troops lying round him.

    Then Abishai said to David, ‘Today God has put your enemy in your power; so now let me pin him to the ground with his own spear. Just one stroke! I will not need to strike him twice.’ David answered Abishai, ‘Do not kill him, for who can lift his hand against the Lord’s anointed and be without guilt? The Lord forbid that I should raise my hand against the Lord’s anointed! But now take the spear beside his head and the pitcher of water and let us go away.’ David took the spear and the pitcher of water from beside Saul’s head, and they made off. No one saw, no one knew, no one woke up; they were all asleep, for a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen on them.

    David crossed to the other side and halted on the top of the mountain a long way off; there was a wide space between them. He called out, ‘Here is the king’s spear. Let one of the soldiers come across and take it. The Lord repays everyone for his uprightness and loyalty. Today the Lord put you in my power, but I would not raise my hand against the Lord’s anointed.’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 102(103):1-4,8,10,12-13

The Lord is compassion and love.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord
    all my being, bless his holy name.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord
    and never forget all his blessings.

The Lord is compassion and love. 

It is he who forgives all your guilt,
    who heals every one of your ills,
who redeems your life from the grave,
    who crowns you with love and compassion.

The Lord is compassion and love.

The Lord is compassion and love,
    slow to anger and rich in mercy.
He does not treat us according to our sins
    nor repay us according to our faults.

The Lord is compassion and love.

As far as the east is from the west
    so far does he remove our sins.
As a father has compassion on his sons,
    the Lord has pity on those who fear him.

The Lord is compassion and love.

________

Second reading
1 Corinthians 15:45-49
The first Adam became a living soul; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit

The first man, Adam, as scripture says, became a living soul; but the last Adam has become a life-giving spirit. That is, first the one with the soul, not the spirit, and after that, the one with the spirit. The first man, being from the earth, is earthly by nature; the second man is from heaven. As this earthly man was, so are we on earth; and as the heavenly man is, so are we in heaven. And we, who have been modelled on the earthly man, will be modelled on the heavenly man.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
cf.Ac16:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Open our heart, O Lord,
to accept the words of your Son.

Alleluia!

Or:
Jn13:34

Alleluia, alleluia!

I give you a new commandment:
love one another just as I have loved you, 
says the Lord.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Luke 6:27-38
Love your enemies

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I say this to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly. To the man who slaps you on one cheek, present the other cheek too; to the man who takes your cloak from you, do not refuse your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your property back from the man who robs you. Treat others as you would like them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks can you expect? For even sinners do that much. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount. Instead, love your enemies and do good, and lend without any hope of return. You will have a great reward, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.

    ‘Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 20th February 2022

In today’s Gospel, taken from the sixth chapter of Luke, Jesus offers a very challenging, seemingly impossible approach to daily life. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak do not withhold even your tunic.” It makes one want to say, “Seriously, Lord?” And He doesn’t stop there. Jesus adds, “Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.” 

It seems so unfair! Unless, that is, we look at this way of life from a stewardship point of view. Then, not only does it seem doable (though challenging), but it also actually makes perfect sense. A steward understands clearly that all he has and all that he is — his very life — is a gift from God given to him from an unfathomable abundance of love. This changes everything! This means “my” cloak, “my” tunic, “my” money, and time — all of it ultimately belongs to God. He has entrusted these things to each of us in love to use for His purposes and His glory.

Does this mean we are to be passive “doormats” to anyone who wants to take advantage of us? Certainly not. Jesus explains this in the next verse of this passage when He says, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” As the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, Jesus understands human nature well. He knows that we naturally desire only good and nothing bad for ourselves. And there is nothing wrong with loving oneself since God loves us and has made us in His own image and likeness. Jesus is simply asking that we also approach others, and the sharing of our gifts, with this same attitude. He is giving us a definition here of real love, a steward’s love! 

In fact, Jesus tells us that anything short of this is not love at all. “For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.” 

We are made for much higher than that. Jesus says instead, “Love your enemies and do good to them and lend expecting nothing back.” That is true greatness in God’s view. When we love like that, He promises our “reward in heaven will be great.” A stewardship way of life is a life worth living because it is modeled after nothing less than our Most High God.

And if that is still not incentive enough to embrace this way of life, Jesus gives us one more bit of loving motivation. “Give and gifts will be given to you: a good measure, packed together, shaken down and overflowing will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” Our wonderful God and Father simply will not be outdone in love. Be generous with your gifts — with your life — and just watch what He will do!                                                                                                                         

                          

Mass Readings - Sunday, 23rd February 2020

FIRST READING
A reading from the Book of Leviticus    19:1-2. 17-18
You must love your neighbour as yourself.

The Lord spoke to Moses; he said: ‘Speak to the whole community of
the sons of Israel and say to them: “Be holy, for I, the Lord your God,
am holy.
‘You must not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. You must
openly tell him, your neighbour, of his offence; this way you will not
take a sin upon yourself. You must not exact vengeance, nor must
you bear a grudge against the children of your people. You must
love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.’

The Word of the Lord.



Responsorial Psalm    Ps 102

Response The Lord is compassion and love.

1. My soul, give thanks to the Lord,
all my being, bless his holy name.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord
and never forget all his blessings.

2. It is he who forgives all your guilt,
who heals every one of your ills,
who redeems your life from the grave,
who crowns you with love and compassion.

3. The Lord is compassion and love,
slow to anger and rich in mercy.
He does not treat us according to our sins
nor repay us according to our faults.

4. As far as the east is from the west
so far does he remove our sins.
As a father has compassion on his sons,
the Lord has pity on those who fear him.



SECOND READING
A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians    3: 16-23
All are your servants; but you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God.

Didn’t you realise that you were God’s temple and that the Spirit of
God was living among you?  If anybody should destroy the temple of
God, God will destroy him, because the temple of God is sacred;
and you are that temple.
Make no mistake about it: if any one of you thinks of himself as wise,
in the ordinary sense of the word, then he must learn to be a fool
before he really can be wise. Why?  Because the wisdom of this world
is foolishness to God. As scripture says: The Lord knows wise men’s
thoughts: he knows how useless they are: or again: God is not
convinced by the arguments of the wise So there is nothing to boast
about in anything human: Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life and
death, the present and the future, are all your servants; but you
belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God.

The Word of the Lord.



Gospel Acclamation    Jn 14:23

Alleluia, alleluia!
If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him.
Alleluia!

or 1    Jn 2:5

Alleluia, alleluia!
When anyone obeys what Jesus has said, God’s love comes to
perfection in him.
Alleluia!



GOSPEL
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew 5:38-48
Love your enemies.

Jesus said to his disciples:’You have learnt how it was said: Eye for
eye and tooth for tooth. But I say this to you: offer the wicked man
no resistance. On the contrary, if anyone hits you on the right cheek,
offer him the other as well; if a man takes you to law and would
have your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone
orders you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give to anyone
who asks, and if anyone wants to borrow, do not turn away.
‘You have learnt how it was said: You must love your neighbour and
hate your enemy. But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray
for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your
Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as
good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike. For if
you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any
credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you
save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything
exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must
therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’

The Gospel of the Lord

Mass Readings - Sunday, 24th February 2019

FIRST READING          1 Samuel 26:2,7-9,11-13,22-23
Do not lift your hand against the Lord's anointed


Saul set off and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, accompanied by
three thousand men chosen from Israel to search for David in the
wilderness of Ziph.

In the dark David and Abishai made their way towards the force,
where they found Saul lying asleep inside the camp, his spear stuck in
the ground beside his head, with Abner and the troops lying round
him.

Then Abishai said to David, ‘Today God has put your enemy in
your power; so now let me pin him to the ground with his own spear.
Just one stroke! I will not need to strike him twice.’ David answered
Abishai, ‘Do not kill him, for who can lift his hand against the Lord’s
anointed and be without guilt? The Lord forbid that I should raise my
hand against the Lord’s anointed! But now take the spear beside his
head and the pitcher of water and let us go away.’ David took the
spear and the pitcher of water from beside Saul’s head, and they made
off. No one saw, no one knew, no one woke up; they were all asleep,
for a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen on them.

David crossed to the other side and halted on the top of the
mountain a long way off; there was a wide space between them. He
called out, ‘Here is the king’s spear. Let one of the soldiers come
across and take it. The Lord repays everyone for his uprightness and
loyalty. Today the Lord put you in my power, but I would not raise
my hand against the Lord’s anointed.’

The word of the Lord



RESPONSORIAL PSALM:          Psalm 102

Response:  The Lord is compassion and love.

1. My soul, give thanks to the Lord,
all my being, bless his holy name.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord
and never forget all his blessings.  Response

2. It is he who forgives all your guilt,
who heals every one of your ills,
who redeems your life from the grave,
who crowns you with love and compassion. Response

3. The Lord is compassion and love,
Slow to anger and rich in mercy.
He does not treat us according to our sins
nor repay us according to our faults. Response

4. As far as the east is from the west
so far does he remove our sins.
As a father has compassion on his sons,
the Lord has pity on those who fear him. Response



SECOND READING          1 Corinthians (15:45-49)
The first Adam became a living soul; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.

The first man, Adam, as scripture says, became a living soul; but the
last Adam has become a life-giving spirit. That is, first the one with
the soul, not the spirit, and after that, the one with the spirit. The first
man, being from the earth, is earthly by nature; the second man is
from heaven. As this earthly man was, so are we on earth; and as the
heavenly man is, so are we in heaven. And we, who have been
modelled on the earthly man, will be modelled on the heavenly man.

The word of the Lord.



Gospel Acclamation          John 13:34
Alleluia, alleluia!

I give you a new commandment:
love one another just as I have loved you,
says the Lord.

Alleluia!



GOSPEL          Luke 6:27-38
Love your enemies

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I say this to you who are listening: Love
your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse
you, pray for those who treat you badly. To the man who slaps you on
one cheek, present the other cheek too; to the man who takes your
cloak from you, do not refuse your tunic. Give to everyone who asks
you, and do not ask for your property back from the man who robs
you. Treat others as you would like them to treat you. If you love
those who love you, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners love
those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to
you, what thanks can you expect? For even sinners do that much. And
if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what thanks can
you expect? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount.
Instead, love your enemies and do good, and lend without any hope of
return. You will have a great reward, and you will be sons of the Most
High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.

‘Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge,
and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will
not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned.
Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down,
shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap;
because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given
back.’

The Gospel of the Lord