September 9, 2004 - Thursday, 23rd Week in Ordinary Time

LOVE WITHOUT BOUNDARIES

Readings:
1 Cor 8:1-7, 11-13; Ps 45:11–12, 14–15, 16–17; Lk 6:27-38

Opening Prayer

God our Father,
from whom all good things come
and for whom we live,
fill us with your own gratuitous love,
the one you have shown us in Jesus Christ.
Teach us to love and bless
even those who curse or maltreat us.
Indeed, deepen and widen our limited love,
make it without measure, like yours,
that we may be called sons and daughters
of you, the Most High, our Father,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading Introduction:
       In ancient times in the Greek world much of the meat of the sacrifices was then sold for the food of the people. By eating this meat, did Christians share in idolatry? They do not honor false gods, since these do not exist, says Paul. But as some Christians are scrupulous, it is better not to offend them and therefore to abstain from meat coming from sacrifices to false gods and to abstain from something they could legitimately do. That is love, and love should rule the community.

First Reading: 1 Cor 7:25–31

Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek a separation.
Are you free of a wife? Then, do not look for a wife.
A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians
Brothers and sisters:
In regard to virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord,
but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is
trustworthy. So this is what I think best because of the present
distress: that it is a good thing for a person to remain as he is.
Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek a separation. Are you
free of a wife? Then do not look for a wife. If you marry,
however, you do not sin, nor does an unmarried woman sin if
she marries; but such people will experience affliction in their
earthly life, and I would like to spare you that.
I tell you, brothers, the time is running out. From now on,
let those having wives act as not having them, those weeping
as not weeping, those rejoicing as not rejoicing, those buying
as not owning, those using the world as not using it fully. For
the world in its present form is passing away.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 45:11–12, 14–15, 16–17

R. Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.

Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear,
forget your people and your father’s house.
So shall the king desire your beauty;
for he is your lord, and you must worship him.
R. Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.

All glorious is the king’s daughter as she enters;
her raiment is threaded with spun gold.
In embroidered apparel she is borne in to the king;
behind her the virgins of her train are brought to you.
R. Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.

They are borne in with gladness and joy;
they enter the palace of the king.
The place of your fathers your sons shall have;
you shall make them princes through all the land.
R. Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.

Gospel Introduction:
       Love does not rest on sympathies alone. A gospel-love, a love of faith, has no boundaries. One who loves gives more than asked and loves the "unlovable," including enemies. It does not judge nor condemn, is always ready to be compassionate and forgiving. When we look at all these implications, we have to confess with shame that we are far from this ideal proposed us by our Lord. How far are we in this world the sign of God's own love?

Gospel Reading: Lk 6:27-38

Jesus said to his disciples, "But I say to you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you and pray for those who treat you badly. To the one who strikes you on the cheek, turn the other cheek; from the one who takes your coat, do not keep back your shirt. Give to the one who asks and if anyone has taken something from you, do not demand it back.

"Do to others as you would have others do to you. If you love only those who love you, what kind of graciousness is yours? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do favors to those who are good to you, what kind of graciousness is yours? Even sinners do the same. If you lend only when you expect to receive, what kind of graciousness is yours? For sinners also lend to sinners, expecting to receive something in return.

"But love your enemies and do good to them, and lend when there is nothing to expect in return. Then will your reward be great and you will be sons and daughters of the Most High. For he is kind towards the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

"Don't be a judge of others and you will not be judged; do not condemn and you will not be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven; give and it will be given to you, and you will receive in your sack good measure, pressed down, full and running over. For the measure you give will be the measure you receive back."

Commentary

LOVING your enemy is the clearest evidence that you are no longer making yourself the measure of love-nor indeed the measure of anything. This state has been described to us by many people. By some miracle the axis of your life has moved elsewhere. The self-centered self, which seemed fixed forever and which controlled everything you did and even what you saw, is no longer the main center of reference. Suddenly the world is immense! (How could it be immense if you saw only what related to your self-centered self?) And the very idea of competition dies. Tauler wrote, "The theologians and the saints have said that in heaven there is such great love that when one soul recognizes that another soul has more love for God than it has itself, it rejoices as much as if this greater love were its own. The more we are like this on earth, the greater will be our eternal joy in God."

It's true that I can do deeds of love "against the grain," as it were. I can force myself to do good for others. This is very good and heroic, but the problem is that resistance may be growing within me at some deep level: force creates counter-force. If I have outbursts of anger and impatience, this is a sign that my virtue is forced. I still don't have the skill. There has been no "release." The word for virtue in Greek (arete) means "skill."

In this sublime page of the Gospel we see how far beyond the Pharisees' mind Jesus is drawing us.

Intentions

- For all Christians, that our readiness to forgive and our constant quest for tolerance and peace may point to Christ and his gospel, we pray:

- For all who can hardly believe in forgiveness, for those who give others no opportunities, for those who keep holding grudges, for those blinded by hatred, that God may enrich them with his mercy, we pray:

- For our Christian communities, that we may hear the call of Jesus to do away with our division and selfishness, and that he may help us to overcome evil by goodness, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

God our Father,
you treat alike sinners and those who love you
with the bread and drink of joy of your Son.
All are invited, all are loved.
Help us to set the table of ourselves
to friend and foe alike,
to those we love and those we fear.
May this be our offering to you,
which you accept through your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Compassionate Father,
through your Son you have asked us
in this eucharistic celebration
not to judge or condemn,
and even to grant generous pardon
to those whom we feel to have hurt us.
Let your Son Jesus Christ give us the capacity
to give without seeking repayment,
to claim no merit or credit,
but simply to love without boundaries,
as you have loved us in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing

"If you love only those who love you, what credit is that to you? Love your enemies!" It is something very difficult to do, but it is at the core of Christianity. Let us ask the Lord for strength, for a Christian love deep enough to make us capable of this. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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