THURSDAY, TWENTY THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1 Cor 8: 1-7, 11-13 Ps 139: 1-3, 13-14, 23-24 Lk 6: 27-38
LIVING THE TRUTH WITH LOVE
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you were right, yet later realized that your words or actions had hurt someone? The readings today remind us that being right is not enough. As followers of Christ, we are called not only to know the truth but also to live it with love.
The first reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians tells us that knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. In the reading some early Christians knew that idols were nothing and that eating food offered to idols was not sinful. They were correct in their understanding. Yet St. Paul asks them to think beyond themselves. If their actions confused or weakened other believers, then love required them to give up their own freedom. Christian freedom is never about doing whatever we want. It is a gift that must always be guided by charity. We are responsible not only for our own relationship with God but also for helping others to grow in faith.
In the Gospel, Jesus takes us even deeper. He says, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” These words are not easy to live. We naturally want to avoid those who hurt us. But Jesus invites us to love as God loves us. God does not stop loving us when we are away from Him because of our sins. But He loves us even we are sinners. His mercy is always greater than our weakness. As disciples of Christ, we are called to reflect that same mercy in our relationships with others.
This kind of love is not so easy to live by our own strength alone. But God gives us the strength to possess this kind of love. Through baptism, we become children of God and members of Christ’s Body, the Church. Whenever we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, He gives us the strength to forgive, to be patient and to treat others with kindness. Thus, He makes us strong through the sacraments. So, as we receive Christ’s love, we are also called to share that same love with everyone we meet.
Response: Lead me, Lord, in the way everlasting.
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