Gospel
Matthew 5:43-48
43 You have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thy enemy. 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies: do good to them that hate you: and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you: 45 That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven, who maketh his sun to rise upon the good, and bad, and raineth upon the just and the unjust.
46 For if you love them that love you, what reward shall you have? do not even the publicans this? 47 And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more? do not also the heathens this? 48 Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect.
Seemingly, today’s Gospel is truly the hardest teaching of Jesus, “be perfect.” How can we, fallen and flawed people ever hope to be perfect? Our Lord has also made clear that nothing impure can enter Heaven. How can we ever hope to go to Heaven? But, do not despair, because God gave us the means. Not through our own merits may we become perfect or pure, although it certainly takes heroic effort on our part. Through the grace of God and the merits of His sacrifice, we may become saints.
Grace is conferred in many ways. Grace comes through belief in God and prayer. Grace comes through practicing the virtues. Most importantly and powerfully though, grace comes through the Sacraments. When we are Baptized we are forgiven of all sin, both original and actual. The Holy Spirit enters us and we become part of the Body of Christ. Through Confirmation we receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit and the ability to receive the Eucharist in the proper state – a state of grace. Through Reconciliation, each time we fall back into sin we are restored to a state of grace and receive special graces to strengthen us against the sins to which we are most prone. The anointing of the Sick confers grace that heals both body and soul. The Sacraments of Matrimony and Holy Orders give us the grace necessary for the role in life to which we are called.
To become perfect is to be so filled with the grace of God that we are one with God. The Law of Moses could not offer this to the Jews. Faith, alone, cannot offer the fullness of God’s grace to Protestants. Only through the Catholic Church may we have access to the full bounty of grace that God intends for all people. This is a free gift we can never repay. But, we must cooperate with God’s plan. It is not up to us to decide how we may get to Heaven. We must strive to live in accord with God’s will.
Judson Carroll is the author of several books, including his newest, A Daily Catholic Devotional, Reflections on the Daily Mass Readings July-December, 2024 It is Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3ZTXQB4
and
Confirmation, an Autobiography of Faith. It is also Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C47Q1JNK
His new podcast is The Uncensored Catholic https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-uncensored-catholic
Thank you for your simple reminders that we are expected to strive in cooperation with His will.
So true! Thank you!