The Gospel reading today presents Jesus’ teachings on loving one’s enemies. This is not natural, but supernatural; not human, but divine. As such, it is the sign of the true Christian, one who loves with the love of God, not of man. We, Catholics, do have many enemies today, but we cannot hate them. Rather, we must love them, not because they are our brothers, but so that they may be so. In this way we imitate Christ who loved us and died for us while we were still his enemies. The world and our nation are torn by division and hatred, only the love and mercy of Christians can squelch this. Let us follow the words of Scripture: Do not repay anyone evil for evil… be not conquered by evil but conquer evil with good.
Ave Maria!

Mass: 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sunday
Readings: 
1st: lev 19:1-2, 17-18
Resp: psa 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13
2nd: 1co 3:16-23
Gsp: mat 5:38-48

The post Feb 19 – Homily – Fr Jacinto: Conquer Evil with Good first appeared on AirMaria.com.

How great the tale, that there should be,

In God’s Son’s Heart, a place for me!

That on a sinner’s lips like mine

The cross of Jesus Christ should shine!

Christ Jesus, bend me to thy will,

My feet to urge, my griefs to still;

That even my flesh and blood may be

A temple sanctified to Thee.

No rest, no calm my soul may win,

Because my body craves to sin;

Till thou, dear Lord, thyself impart

Peace on my head, light in my heart.

May consecration come from far,

Soft shining like the evening star.

My toilsome path make plain to me,

Until I come to rest in thee.

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Station I:  Jesus is condemned to death

Pilate abandoned truth under pressure from the crowd…as do we when we listen to the crowd of public opinion that endorses a culture of death and immorality.  At Jesus’  trial, He loved in truth and allowed Himself to be misjudged and ridiculed; He offered His humiliation and His life to save sinners, including those who condemned Him.

Help me, Lord, offer up to You all the criticism, rejection and misjudgments laid against me during my life for the salvation of lost souls.  I also give to you all the unforgiveness in my heart, especially towards those who have been harmed by the hardness of my heart or my inability to love in truth.  O, Lord, may we never wash our hands of our responsibilities as Christians to love and forgive generously.  And may our hearts remain open to receive the grace that springs from the humiliations You suffered at Your trial.

After each Station, pray “Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.  Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee”

by Mary Fischer

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What does it mean not to forgive? It means that I’m holding a grudge, a judgment, sometimes a hatred in my heart. And this poison to my heart. My heart is not pure; it is not free. It’s as if I’m caring a poison in myself. This does harm to me for many reasons.

What happens when we don’t forgive? It means I am held prisoner by my past. It is as though a chain is holding me in the past. I am not free to receive the graces of today. On the contrary, when I forgive, I am free. I am no longer in the state of dependence. I can be completely myself, and I can allow the grace of God to dwell in me. I can allow positive thoughts and hopes instead of stirring up a poison in myself. Forgiveness sets me free.

Be encouraged to ask for the grace of forgiveness and practice it.

Fr. Jacques Phillipe

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“Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints!”

O Holy St. Anthony, gentlest of Saints, your love for God and Charity for His creatures, made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers. Encouraged by this thought, I implore you to obtain for me (request). O gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms; and the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours. Amen.

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Ave Maria Meditations

The mercy we practice in family life takes many forms. We encourage, we support, we carry one another. But the most necessary form of mercy is the ability to forgive. It’s not always easy to forgive, but it is necessary. If there is no forgiveness in a couple’s relationship, if there’s no forgiveness among family members, problems start to multiply. Sufferings of all kinds develop and create walls that separate us from each other.

On the other hand, if day after day we forgive, ordinary relations remain possible and love can always be reborn. Forgiveness is not always easy; it is one of the most unselfish acts of love. Forgiveness can also be one of the greatest acts of freedom: the freedom to love even the one who has done you wrong.  (Fr. Jacques Philippe)

One definition of forgiveness is this: Forgiveness is the intentional and voluntary process by which a victim undergoes a change in feelings and attitude regarding an offense, and overcomes negative emotions such as resentment and vengeance. Theorists differ, however, in the extent to which they believe forgiveness also implies replacing the negative emotions with positive attitudes

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Ave Maria MeditationsForgiveness from the heart

When it is hard to forgive, this is a grace we must ask for. Sometimes our human strength is not enough and we must ask God in humility and prayer. Sometimes it takes time to receive this grace, and this is normal. When we are very deeply wounded, receiving this grace can take time and a lot of prayer, patience, and humility.

It is difficult to say, “I forgive you.” It is easier to forgive the way Jesus does. When Jesus for gave His enemies on the cross, He turned to the Father and said, “Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.” When we find it too hard to say, “I forgive you,” we too must turn to the Father, because in the end only God can really forgive. We have to turn to the Father and say, “Father, forgive him or her, because he or she doesn’t know what they are doing.” To forgive, we have to go through the Heart of the Father. This is the source of forgiveness. It is not in me; it’s the Heart of God, and that’s where I have to go looking for forgiveness.

Fr. Jacques Philippe

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Ave Maria Meditations

Our debts to God… must be reckoned according to the price of our redemption, the most Precious Blood of Jesus. Our debts are our sins which needed to be washed away in the Blood of a divine Victim. In spite of our good will, we increase these debts each day, if only by faults of frailty and weakness.

Is there one who can say at the day’s end that he has not contracted new debts with God? But God, being infinite goodness, knows and has pity on our misery; each time we place ourselves before Him and humbly acknowledge our faults with sincere repentance, He immediately pardons us and cancels all our debts. God is magnificent when He pardons: He does not reproaches us for the faults over which we have already wept, nor does He keep any account of them; His pardon is so generous, so great and complete, that He not only annuls our debts, but destroys even the memory of them as if they never existed.

It is enough for Him to see us repentant; then every wound, even the most grievous and repugnant, is completely healed by the Precious Blood of Jesus. Christ’s Blood is like an immense sea which has the power to cleanse and destroy the sins of all mankind, provided they are sincerely repented of. Every minute of every day we can take the burden, heavy or light as it may be, of our sins and infidelities and make it disappear in this ocean of grace and love, certain that not one trace will remain.

+Father Gabriel of Saint Mary Magdalen

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Is there anyone, O Lord, who is not in debt to You? Is there anyone who has not someone in debt to him? In Your justice You have determined that in Your rule of conduct toward me, Your debtor, should be in regard to my debtors.  Therefore, because I also have sinned-and how often!-I must be indulgent with him who seeks my pardon. In fact, when the time of prayer comes, I should be able to say to You:  Forgive me, Lord, my trespasses, and how?  The condition is laid down by me, I myself fix the law (as I pray), “Forgive me my trespasses as I forgive those who trespass against me.”

Oh Lord you have set down in the gospel two short sentences:  Forgive and it shall be forgiven you; give and it shall be given to you. This is my prayer: I ask pardon of You for my sins, You will that I should pardon others.

In order to obtain forgiveness, I shall forgive; I shall pardon others, and I shall be pardoned. Because I wish to receive, I shall give, and it shall be given to me. If it is hard for me to forgive someone who has offended me, I shall have recourse to prayer. Instead of repaying insults, I shall pray for the guilty one. When I feel like giving him a harsh answer, I shall speak to You, O Lord, in his favor. Then I shall remember that You promise eternal life, but You command us to forgive others. It is as if You said to me: You are a man, forgive other men so that I, who am God can come to you.

St. Augustine

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