Daily Readings - Tue Jun 20 2023

2 Corinthians

1Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;2How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.3For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;4Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.5And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.6Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.7Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.8I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.9For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

Matthew

43Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;45That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.46For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?47And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?48Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the transformative power of grace and the call to live beyond our own limitations. In the second reading from 2 Corinthians, St. Paul commends the churches of Macedonia for their extraordinary generosity. Despite their poverty and tribulations, they gave abundantly, even beyond their means, because they had given themselves first to the Lord. Their example challenges us to consider how we respond to God’s grace in our own lives. Do we allow God’s grace to overflow in acts of love and generosity, or do we hold back, limited by our own fears and calculations? In the Gospel, Jesus takes this idea a step further by calling us to love not just those who love us, but even our enemies. This is a radical challenge, one that goes against our natural instincts. Jesus reminds us that if we only love those who love us, we are no different from the pagans. True discipleship requires us to imitate God’s universal love, which extends to all people, regardless of whether they deserve it or not. This kind of love is not about feelings but about choices—choosing to pray for those who persecute us, to do good to those who hate us, and to greet all people with kindness. Both readings point us to the same truth: the Christian life is a life of grace and self-giving love. The Macedonians’ generosity flowed from their encounter with God’s grace, and Jesus’ command to love our enemies is only possible when we allow God’s grace to transform our hearts. As we strive to live this way, we become more like our heavenly Father, who causes the sun to shine and the rain to fall on both the just and the unjust. Let us ask for the grace to go beyond our own limits, to love as God loves, and to give as God gives—freely, abundantly, and without reserve.