By Richardson P, CSC –
Readings: Lev 19: 1-2, 17-18; 1 Cor 3: 16-23; Mt 5: 38-48
Today the liturgy of the word invites me to live in God’s love and express his love towards the others in my deeds. The Lord God, in the book of Leviticus, clearly instructs me that as long as I live, I am duty bound to show my selfless love towards my neighbor as well as towards God, who is the ultimate source of “love”.
In the second reading, from St. Paul’s first letter to Corinthians, God made me to realize that, he is the living God who dwells within, and ever at work, in spirit. God’s living spirit, which is within, helps me to value the vocation that he has given and the limitless love that he has poured on me. Living in God’s love assists me to encounter his entire presence not only within, but also in others, especially in my surroundings.
In the gospel, Jesus helps me to find answers for two of my questions: ‘what can I do to make my heavenly Father happy?’ And ‘what is it that God really expects from me in daily living’? Jesus, by expressing God’s unconditional love through his words and deeds to humanity, made clear that the whole of my life is gripped and centered in God’s love. When I begin to realize and start the day with his words and directions, the Lord takes care of everything. He rewards me with his goodness and reveals to the other the style my living: the behavior, attitude, faithfulness, interest, effort and the values that I stand for.