Matthew 5:43-48

I like today's reading until I get to the last line. There’s the Gospel twist that Father Bob likes to talk about in his homilies. “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” That is a tall order indeed. My own interpretation would be that Jesus is referring just to our dealings with people, but I can’t help but think more broadly about perfection in my life. What perfection is attainable in my life and what do I need to work on in a more conscientious manner. I am not perfect in any way, nor do I think perfection can be attained and surely not the perfection of our heavenly Father. That is too broad, so I am going to concentrate on my dealings with people. Love your neighbor is easy but love your enemies and pray for those that persecute you is exceedingly difficult but if there is a place to start it would be there. Forgiving does not mean forgetting and sometimes I find it difficult to forgive someone because of the remembrance of a hurtful act. Saint Teresa of Calcutta said, “If we really want to love, we must learn how to forgive.” Saint Thomas Aquinas said, “Nothing so likens you to God, as to forgive him [or her] who has injured you.” So, upon reflection, the thing that I need to work on is my ability to forgive to move closer to the perfection of our heavenly Father. That is something to work on, but I think I will be working on it for a very long time. “Let the church always be a place of mercy and hope, where everyone is welcomed, loved and forgiven.” Pope Francis