Saturday of the First Week

Reflection

Today’s readings encourage us not to take the easy way out of life’s difficulties but to do our very best to meet the large and small challenges that are constantly being presented to us. It is easy to be generous to those who are generous to us, and to be kind to people who are kind to us. Jesus calls us to improve the situation in which we find ourselves, to be generous to people who do not treat us generously, and to be kind to people who do not treat us kindly. When we do this, we catch these people by surprise, but the surprise is a pleasant one for them, and it gives them a chance to react in a way that improves life for themselves and for everyone else.

Prayer

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, help us to treat with kindness those who are not kind to us, and to be helpful to those who are not helpful to us; for it is in pardoning that we are pardoned.

Lorraine Sterritt, President of Saint Michael’s College and Norbert Lain, Instructor in Latin, Greek, and of Medical and Scientific Terminology

 

Scripture

First Reading: Deuteronomy 26:16-19

Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8
Gospel: Matthew 5:43-48

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website