Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

 

The Gospel today uses the phrase all of us know and have heard many times, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” But do we live it? As Jesus relates to us in the Gospel, it is easy to love those we can get along with, but where is that credit? He is calling us deeper; he is calling us to love those who might annoy us, whom we might disagree with, who mistreat and curse us. Of course, it is something easier said than done. But as Saint Paul tells us in the second reading, “bear the image of the heavenly one.” So, let us ask ourselves, how can I be Christ to this person? How can I fulfill the duty and calling of Our Lord when he says, “Love one another as I have loved you?” This is a daunting task Our Lord is calling us to, but we must trust in him. He is calling us to live this, so he will give us the grace to complete it, but we must allow that grace to transform us.

Sr. Ruth Burrows, OCD, says, “The Holy Spirit is always there enlightening our heart within the measure which we allow him.” So let us take Our Lord at his Word and truly seek those whom we are called to love. Let us open our hearts to the Holy Spirit and allow him to enter fully, so when the time comes, we may do to others as we would have them do to us.

Reflection by Andrew, seminarian