Good News Reflection FOR NEXT SUNDAY: February 20, 2011 Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Good News Reflection FOR NEXT SUNDAY: February 20, 2011 Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Parish bulletins, faith-sharing groups, RCIA: For professionally published, printable copies of this reflection, please go to Catholic Digital Resources: http://catholicdr.com/calendar/February/7thA.htm - Preview a sample Next Sunday's Readings: Lev 19:1-2, 17-18 Ps 103:1-4,8,10,12-13 1 Cor 3:16-23 Matt 5:38-48 http://www.usccb.org/nab/022011.shtml USCCB Podcast of the Readings: http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/11_02_20.mp3 Mercy is the key to understanding next Sunday’s Gospel reading. Think of love as the front door to people's hearts. When they close it, mercy is the love that sneaks in through the back door. In ancient times, if someone gouged another person in the eye, the victim would gather his clan and retaliate by wiping out his aggressor's clan. So God gave his people a law that brought them closer to love: If someone hurts your eye, you may do nothing more than the same to him. It was still unloving, but at least it was fair. When Jesus came onto the scene, he raised the standards: If someone hurts you, give that person love. When people sin against us, they don't understand that they're closing their hearts to God and his love. But if we give them love, we give them God through a back door. This does not mean we are to remain in harm’s way. But if we continue to give them love – even if only from afar – we bring God and his healing into the situation. If someone steals from you or demands something from you unfairly, you can't stop his greed but you can stop him from sinning against you: give it freely and cheerfully. And as an act of generous love, give him more of your possessions! That what Jesus says. If someone asks you to do a chore for her that's not fair, prevent it from being a sin of cruelty by gladly doing what she asks and volunteering to do more. By letting them know that our gift of love is freely given, we convey that we are not their victims. Our examples of Christ’s love proves that love conquers all evil. This is what it means to be perfect. Perfection in the Bible means love – complete, full, unlimited, merciful love. Note: This Gospel reading is from the Sermon on the Mount. For a full Bible study on this, go to http://wordbytes.org/Bible/HolyLiving1.htm Questions for Personal Reflection: Think of a time when God showed you mercy even though you didn't deserve his love. What did it feel like when he gave you his love anyway? How did it change you? Who is currently sinning against you? What good deeds can you do simply and easily even before he or she asks for forgiveness? Questions for Community Faith Sharing: Describe a time when you did a good deed to someone who caused you difficulties. What kind of impact did your efforts make? If you're not aware of good results yet, how did it help you experience God’s love? How can stopping an abuse be done as an act of love? © 2011 by Terry A. Modica This work is NOT in Public Domain and may NOT be copied without permission. You may print one copy for your own personal use. For PERMISSION and info on how to copy this reflection for sharing, see: http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm Seeking a past reflection? Click this button to register for the searchable Archive Library of the Good News Reflections. One week access is free to subscribers of these emailed reflections.

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