Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

God commands us in the readings to be holy, become fools to the world, and be perfect. My passionate and zealous heart leaps at these. “Yes Lord! Teach me! How do I do this?” His answer hurts.

“Get slapped in the face. Give away not only your shirt but your coat too. Carry burdens for others for twice as long as they ask. Oh, and all those people who hate you (especially the one who just slapped you across the face), LOVE THEM!”

The little Sarah inside myself who loves her idea of rules is cringing. How is this fair?

It’s not. Jesus does not say, “Blessed are those who are nice and fair.” He blesses those who are mourning, persecuted, and poor in spirit. He does not command us to simply keep loving those who we get along with. He points to the one who makes your blood boil, who breathes too loud in the chapel, has hurt you deeply, or is labeled as trash and says, “Look. They are my children too. Love them.”

Our love will look unusual, even foolish to the world. Our life will perplex those around us. It will leave us with bruises on our faces, half dressed, tired, and poor. But if we look to Our Lord on the Cross with worldly eyes that’s exactly what we see: a severely bruised, almost naked, exhausted criminal. His Love led Him to the Cross. In our lives and especially during this upcoming season of Lent let’s follow Him there awaiting the glory and revolution of His Resurrection.

Sarah Cahill