Cycle A - Year I:  

19 February 2023: Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Color: Green)

Readings:

First Reading:        Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18

Second Reading:   1 Corinthians 3:16-23

Gospel:  Please Read  Matthew 5:38-48 

God's Love conquers all, even our enemies!

In the old days, the law of retaliation or revenge is "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." While it may seem barbaric, it was an attempt to regulate and civilize the process by which people seek redress for injuries. This law is called in Latin as "lex talionis".

Are Christians allowed to practice "lex talionis"?

In today's Gospel proclamation, our Lord Jesus Christ challenges this law of retaliation and revenge with God's love. Because our love for God must conquer all, the good people and the bad people as well. For God's is a generous love, as He allows the sun to shine and the rain to pour on everyone. For God's is an all-embracing love!

Let us reflect on God's all-embracing LOVE:

Jesus makes it clear that in God's love there is no room for retaliation. He wants His followers to avoid returning evil for evil, but instead must seek the good, even of those who may wish them ill or harm.  

However, it does not mean   that as believers in and followers of Christ we remain passive before evil and injustice happening around us. No of course, and we must fight evil and injustice in our world, but not out of personal revenge and retaliation but conquering them with love and good deeds. Is this impossible and impractical?

Our love for all and even for our enemies makes Christianity distinct from other religions. We can do this with God's grace, which allows us to treat others not as they deserve but as God wishes them to be treated by us, and that is, with loving kindness and mercy, just as the Father has treated our sinfulness with kindness and mercy.  Because we leave to God alone to render justice to those who do us wrong.

Our Lord Jesus Christ hanging on the cross is our model of true love. Only the Cross of Jesus Christ can free us from the tyranny of malice, revenge, and resentment, and gives us the courage to return evil done to us with good deeds. For God's grace gives us the power to heal and be saved from our own destruction.

Trivia:  Lex talionis is one of the earliest legal system in human history. It can be traced back as far as the Code of Hammurabi, a Babylonian king who codified a collection of laws in the 18th Century B.C.

This Sunday is also called St. Peter the Apostle Sunday for the formation, training and support for seminarians, clergy and religious all over the world. Let us remember them with our prayers and material support.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!