Saturday of the 10th week in ordinary time

2 Cor. 5: 14-21      Mathew 5: 33-37

Theme: A call to love

In the 1st reading of today from St. Paul’s 2nd letter to the Corinthians, he points out the place of love in our journey of faith. Jesus Christ was driven by his love for us, that is why he came to be one with us in all things except sin. He came and died for the salvation of souls. So, St. Paul admonishes us to be mindful of this fact by practicing love, service and selflessness in our individual lives. The fact that we have declared for Christ, simply means that we are a new creation. Works of the flesh has no more place in our lives; we are now called to be people of the spirit. It means that the works of darkness have no place anymore in our lives. To be mindful of this fact and practice it in our daily lives, will make us true ambassadors for Christ.

The admonition of Paul is challenging us to live a life that is worthy of the name Christian. A life that is built on love, service and selflessness, just like Jesus and our Ancestors in faith did during their time on earth. Never look down on yourself, by thinking that you are not capable of practicing this in your life. Remember, when God is involved, everything is possible. The first thing is our honest desire to make this happen in our personal life, all we need to do is to do our best and allow the grace of God to supply whatever is left for us to accomplish our hearts desire.

In the gospel reading of today from St. Mathew, Jesus encourages us not to swear for any reason, but rather to be sincere in our statements to one another. The assertion of Jesus can also be seen as an admonition not to lie to one another. That is why he said your yes or no is enough, there is no need to swear, just to convince someone about your sincerity. One thing that we must strive to practice in our lives is sincerity to one another. The desire to swear comes into play when your assertion is in question. When there is trust, there will be no need for you to swear to convince anyone that you are saying the truth, or that you mean what you have said. As we continue to strive to be true ambassadors for Christ, may almighty God bless you in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit, Amen. Peace be with you.