"The way of generous love." we need mutual forgiveness, to thrive.

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” 

 

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊   

1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23

On hearing this,

Saul went down with three thousand picked men of Israel to the desert of Ziph in search of David.

So, that night, David and Abishai went into the camp and found Saul sleeping in the center,

his spear thrust into the ground at his head, while Abner and the rest of the soldiers were sleeping around him.

Abishai said to David, "God has delivered your enemy into your hands this day.

 

Let me nail him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I will not repeat it."

But David answered Abishai, "Do not harm him. For who could harm the Lord's anointed and not be punished?

So David took the spear and the water jug from near Saul's head and they left. Nobody saw,

nobody knew, nobody woke up. All remained asleep, for a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen on them.

 

On the opposite slope David stood at a distance, on top of the hill.

David answered, "I have your spear with me, O king! Let one of your servants come over to fetch it.

The Lord rewards a righteous and loyal man. Today he delivered you into my hands but I refused to harm the Lord's anointed.

 

Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13

The Lord is kind and merciful.

 

  ＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

1 Corinthians 15:45-49

Scripture says that Adam, the first man, became a living being; but the last Adam has become a life-giving spirit.

The spirit does not appear first, but the natural life, and afterward comes the spirit.

The first man comes from the earth and is earthly, while the second one comes from heaven.

As it was with the earthly one, so is it with the earthly people. As it is with Christ, so with the heavenly.

This is why, after bearing the image of the earthly one, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

Luke 6:27-38

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 grace is yours? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do favors to those who are good to you,

what kind of grace is yours? Even sinners do the same. If you lend only when you expect to receive,

what kind of grace 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 toward 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."

 

Lectio Divina

Gospel Reflection ：

"The way of generous love."

 

Read: David refuses to retaliate against King Saul, even though he is seeking to kill him.

Christ gives the command to "love your enemies and do good to those who hate you."

 

Reflect: In The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky, there is a discussion between a lady and an old monk.

The lady has great ideas about looking after the sick and the poor, but she realizes that, deep down,

she needs to receive payment in some way for her acts of kindness. She needs to be thanked or recognized for her charity,

and so she comes to understand that her charity lacks true generosity and resilience.

 

In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us the way of generous love, a way which breaks the cycle of revenge,

and the cycle of meanness, by going beyond what is simply fair or what is expected.

Such a generous, patient love is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength,

as it takes self-control to look beyond ourselves to others' needs,

to look beyond injustices and beyond the hatred or contempt of others to seek their good.

 

 

Pray: Pray for a generous heart, one which willingly responds to the needs of others.

 

Act: Look for opportunities to act with generosity, patience and love, especially to those you find difficult, unkind or unappealing.