Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us as we listened to the words from the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for us to follow and obey faithfully the commandments of God, the Law that He has shown, revealed and presented to us. God has taught us all how we should be His followers and disciples, and we should make good use of everything that He has provided to us, all the guidance that He has given us, so that we may know how to live our lives worthily as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people. All of us are God’s own beloved children, and as such, it is imperative that we live our lives in the manner that is pleasing and worthy of God, as if not, otherwise, we will sully and besmirch the Holy Name of Our Lord and God.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Deuteronomy in which the Lord reminded His people, the Israelites during the time of their Exodus and journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, of their obligations to fulfil the commandments and laws that have been presented and taught to them. God had created His Covenant with all of the people of Israel, and hence, as part of this Covenant, all of the Israelites were required to obey the Law and commandments that God has set before them, just as He would always be faithful to His people, providing and caring for them in everything that they needed. That is why, as His beloved and holy people, they were reminded to love God with all their might, and to do whatever they can such that they may be good examples and role models for the people all around them.

It is this same expectation therefore that the Lord expects from each and every one of us, as God’s holy and beloved people, as we Christians are the people whom God had called and chosen to be His own. Therefore, as we are also part of this same Covenant which God has established, renewed and made firm, once and for all through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, therefore, we are all expected and called to be faithful to the mission entrusted to each one of us as God’s holy and beloved people, to be truly devoted to the path that He has called and shown us to walk in, so that by our every moments in life, our every actions, words and deeds, we will be truly worthy of being called God’s chosen and holy people. God has always ever been faithful to His Covenant to us, but it is us all mankind who have often disappointed Him and chose to follow all other distractions in life, and not following God’s path.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the main essence of the Law of God as highlighted and explained by the Lord Jesus Himself to His disciples and all the people gathered to listen to Him. He told them all about the Law and the commandments, and how the people ought to follow them with sincerity of heart and the genuine desire to love God first and foremost, and then to love their fellow brothers and sisters with the same kind of love, and at least as much as they love themselves. The Lord told them all to love everyone without exception and prejudice, and not to reserve their love only for those who have loved them back, as true love truly should be unconditional, and not be transactional in nature.

The Lord Himself pointed out how even the pagans and unbelievers also loved one another, and loved those who have loved them back. Therefore, as Christians, all of us must be truly revolutionary in how we love others around us, and that means, loving and showing care and concern for those who have not loved us back, and even to those who have hated and persecuted us. This is of course something that is far easier said than done, as it is in our human nature to feel hurt and angry, to feel betrayed and frustrated because of what had been dealt to us, be it injustice, harsh words, unfair treatments, prejudices or other nasty things that we have ourselves often done to our fellow brothers and sisters around us. But, we are all challenged to overcome those negative feelings, all the anger, hurt and desire for vengeance, and be truly magnanimous, compassionate and loving.

And we do not need to look far for example, as the Lord Jesus Himself, our Lord and Saviour, has shown us the perfect example by His own life and works in our midst. While the Pharisees, the teachers of the Law, the elders of the people and the members of the Sanhedrin had made His ministry and works difficult all throughout, as those people questioned and doubted Him, refusing to believe in Him, spreading doubts about His authority and authenticity, challenging Him in many occasions, persecuting Him and His disciples, and yet, He still showed great patience in loving and caring for them nonetheless, chastising them all, rebuking them for their wicked actions and lack of true and genuine faith, their external and outward show of piety that were exclusivist in nature, among other things. But all these were done with the intention to make them realise the errors of their ways.

Then, ultimately, the Lord Himself showed the perfect action of love, compassion and magnanimity, when He forgave all those who have rejected and persecuted Him, praying for those who have betrayed and pushed for Him to be punished and crucified to death. He said, ‘Father, forgive them all for they do not know what they were doing.’, asking for them not to be punished or held accountable for their actions, because ultimately He Himself also offered His life on the Cross for everyone, for every sinners, including even those who have questioned, resisted and persecuted Him, all those elders who had betrayed and abandoned Him, for those who have crucified Him and tortured Him. The Lord Himself showed us all the perfect example of Christian love, on how we all should love our brethren around us in the most compassionate and generous manner.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, during this time and season of Lent, can we make the conscious effort to love everyone around us with more tender love and generous care, compassion and attention? Let us all continue to love others around us, even when our love may not be reciprocated, so that by our love, everyone may truly know God and His love, and that our love may touch the lives and hearts of many others, bringing them all together with us ever closer to the path towards God’s salvation. Let us all also continue to walk ever more faithfully down this path, and strive to deepen our relationship with God, our loving and most merciful Father, that one day, we will truly be worthy to share in His glorious and eternal inheritance. Amen.