23RD THURSDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Luke 6:27-38) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap.” (Lk 6:38)

FIRST READING - Col 3:12-17

"And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection."

A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians

¹² Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. ¹⁴ And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Lk 6:27-38

^"Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful."

✠From the Gospel according to Luke

²⁷ “But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹ To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. ³¹ Do to others as you would have them do to you. ³² For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. ³⁴ If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit [is] that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. ³⁵ But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. ³⁶ Be merciful, just as [also] your Father is merciful.

^{[a] 37} “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. ³⁸ Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

23RD THURSDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Luke 6:27-38)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

Today's Word of God, God the Father teaches all mankind, His children, very practical lessons in life, which are the lesson of love, the lesson of forgiveness, the lesson of giving, the lesson of praying for those who persecute. There is no better teaching than the teaching of Jesus Christ, the obedience with which He came to earth to become a human being, sacrificed, and died to save humanity. This is the perfect, exemplary example that God left for His children when they lived in this world.

What must we do to confront Satan? The things we must do are to love, forgive, give, pray for our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, pray for those who kill us, pray for those who hate us.

The next lesson is forgiveness, forgiving all the mistakes of our brothers and sisters, forgiving all to receive the Kingdom of Heaven, forgiving all to be loved by God, forgiving all to be resurrected with God in the Kingdom of Heaven, forgiving all to enjoy eternal life that will never perish. So, what is the benefit when people always live in hatred, division, selfishness, greed, and cruelty?

Today's Word of God, God the Father invites all His children to humbly submit to the authority and power of God the Father, to bow down and receive the teachings of God the Father in daily life, to love all things, to forgive everything, to be patient, to sacrifice, to humble themselves, to accept all the difficulties and challenges that God the Father sends. Do all of these things out of love for God, because His teachings have authority and power to save our souls and bodies. Besides, God the Father also teaches His children to know that: do not condemn, do not judge, do not be selfish, do not be jealous, do not hate anymore! Humans are nothing compared to the supreme power of God, under His power, know how to fear God and to do what He desires. Because only then will there be the power for God to save our own souls and bodies. Because only then will there be the power for God the Father to love and heal others.

Forgive and God the Father will forgive us.

Love and God will love us, submit to God's will and God the Father will give us back the happiness of the Kingdom of Heaven - that is the most precious thing that humans must seek and achieve.

No one can take away the happiness of the Kingdom of Heaven, only God the Father can give the happiness of the Kingdom of Heaven freely. People should wisely return to God and follow what He teaches in life, then everything God will give to people, that is the most precious pearl, that people need to sell all their selfishness, pride; their sins, to submit to the power, under the Word of God and put it into practice.

Thanks be to God. Amen.