cheek, turn and offer the other. If someone sues you in court for your shirt, give him your coat
as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give when asked, and do
not turn your back on anyone who wants to borrow from you.
You have heard, that it was said: Love your neighbor and do not do good to your enemy. But
this I tell you: love your enemies; and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be
children of your Father in Heaven. For he makes his sun rise on both the wicked and the good;
and he gives rain to both the just and the unjust. If you love those who love you, what is special
about that? Do not even tax collectors do as much? And if you are friendly only to your friends,
what is so exceptional about that? Do not even the pagans do as much? As for you, be perfect,
as your heavenly Father is perfect.
READ: The message of Exodus is clear: we are called to live in holiness because we are the
children of a God who is holiness itself. Paul reminds us that the Holy Spirit dwelling in us
makes us the temple of God. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus makes it clear that holiness is
grounded in reflecting God’s unconditional, self-sacrificing love.
REFLECT: Saint John Paul II spoke often about the universal call to holiness. Holiness is not
reserved for clergy and religious or to those few special people who are widely recognized as
living saints. Instead, each of us is called to holiness in our own state in life and in our own
unique circumstances. The pursuit of holiness will not be easy. It means conforming our will to
God’s will, to giving more than is requested, to meeting hatred with love, to meeting evil with
goodness, and violence with peace. Of course, we cannot do this on our own. We can only
become holy through the gift of God’s grace, given to us through the Holy Spirit who dwells
within us and fills us with the gifts we need to become holy.
PRAY: Dear Father in heaven, send us your Spirit so that I can be more like you, holy in
everything I do.
ACT: Look for an opportunity to forgive rather than escalate disagreements.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023