“Brothers and sisters:
As your fellow workers, we appeal to you
not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says:
In an acceptable time I heard you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you.
Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
We cause no one to stumble in anything,
in order that no fault may be found with our ministry;
on the contrary, in everything we commend ourselves
as ministers of God, through much endurance,
in afflictions, hardships, constraints,
beatings, imprisonments, riots,
labors, vigils, fasts;
by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness,
in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, in truthful speech,
in the power of God;
with weapons of righteousness at the right and at the left;
through glory and dishonor, insult and praise.
We are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful;
as unrecognized and yet acknowledged;
as dying and behold we live;
as chastised and yet not put to death;
as sorrowful yet always rejoicing;
as poor yet enriching many;
as having nothing and yet possessing all things.” 2 Cor 6:1-10
St. Paul speaks of the life of one who fights to become a saint. Can you handle it? Do you want it? You won’t be popular and it won’t be easy, but the glory of God and a chance for heaven is well worth it. Any struggles on earth, even the biggest ones look like a little cold in heaven. I love the last verses of Paul’s writing today.
We are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful;
as unrecognized and yet acknowledged;
as dying and behold we live;
as chastised and yet not put to death;
as sorrowful yet always rejoicing;
as poor yet enriching many;
as having nothing and yet possessing all things.
When you feel like this is happening in your life, you know you are not far from the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.” Mt 5:38-42
As we continue the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus asks us to follow a very hard teaching. ”Offer no resistance to one who is evil”, “Turn the other cheek”, “if someone asks for something, give them more than what they asked for”, “offer more service than asked for”, but the key or main point is in the last verse:
“Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”
Today’s challenge: Give, when someone doesn’t appreciate it, give more, especially to the ones closest to you.
Become a saint!
Christian YOLO
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