News - February 2022 RSS Feed

Today, for the third straight week, we have a chance to listen to Jesus and the greatest homily ever given as He continues to preach His sermon on the Plain. After teaching us the Beatitudes- to love our enemies, to pray for our persecutors, to do good to those who persecute us, to turn the other cheek, to walk the extra mile out of love for even someone who doesn’t love us, today He continues to call us to action.

 In the foothills of the mountains of Galilee, in a grassy meadow surrounded by what Luke calls a "great crowd", Jesus paints a simple yet powerful description of a true disciple/Christian. The identifying mark of a Christian is treating others - all others - the way God does, the way God treats us. Jesus indirectly gives us a portrait of Himself; He shows us what kind of Lord He really is - a lavish one. Nothing limits His generosity and love – nothing! If we are ungrateful to Him, He is still generous with us; if we oppose Him, disobey Him, insult Him, or abandon Him- He keeps on loving us. He simply does not give up on us!

This week invites us to focus on the purpose of our lives – to get to heaven. We are reminded that the physical and material desires are not to become obstacles on the way to heaven. We are also reminded not to domesticate the call to discipleship, since it always demands the high price of exclusion, struggle, hardship, suffering and opposition. And yet, in these totally reversed ordinary standards, we are called to “rejoice and leap on that day…for your reward will be great in heaven.”

The Gospel this Sunday presents us with the call of the first disciples of Jesus. For Simon Peter, the humble fisherman from Galilee, this was the first day of the rest of his life. From this day on, life became meaningful, purposeful, and fulfilling. On this day there was a revolution in his life. It's the revolution we are all thirsting for.