No shortcuts

It is only through fire that gold and silver is tested. Even the finest diamonds have to go through a constant and rigid process of being subjected to friction before its brilliance and beauty finally come out. The same way with us, Christians and true followers of Jesus, we have to really prove what we are really made of, if we are of the finest silver, gold and diamond. There are no shortcuts, it is only by being subject to a severe test of affliction and truly becoming like Jesus who consented to stepping down from His throne in His Heavenly Kingdom in order to become man and suffer, can we emerge as the most precious gems worthy of God's Eternal Place. Amen. Hallelujah!

2 Corinthians 8:1-9

...for in a severe test of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their profound poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part...to test the genuineness of your love... For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich.

Our hope should only be in the Lord for He alone keeps faith, secures justice, gives good, sets captives free, gives sight to the blind and raises up the lowly. If God is able to do all things then there is really nothing to fear. Amen. Hallelujah!

P S A L M
Psalm 146:1-2. 5-6ab. 6c-7. 8-9a

R: Praise the Lord, my soul!

...Blessed he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD, his God, 6 who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them. (R) Who keeps faith forever, 7 secures justice for the oppressed, gives good to the hungry. The LORD sets captives free. (R) 8 The LORD gives sight to the blind. The LORD raises up those that were bowed down;...

Here it goes again. The mind boggling and endless train of thoughts that follow once the faith and reason argument ensues. In today's gospel not a lot of people will agree with its recommendation and may even end up twisting its real meaning by adding up some justifications and excuses. To love one's enemies and be perfect just God is perfect may seem impossible. But our God is very clear in this and we have to be serious and really commit to it. The Catholic Church teaches us that all of us whether living or dead belong to the Church. The living are members of the militant church, those in heaven are the Church triumphant and those who are yet to enter heaven or in the so called "purgatory" are the Church suffering. We are taught that people who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior but die with unrepented sins and have not asked forgiveness are in purgatory to be purged and made clean before facing God. God is All Holy and Ever Bright and Shining in Perfection that just a single stain of sin left in our soul makes us shy away from His presence. It is said that we, ourselves would rather be purged first than stand not properly clothed of holiness before God. This reminds me of the Parable of the Wedding Feast in Matthew 22:11-14, "But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?' But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.' Many are invited, but few are chosen." Although this passage depicts being thrown in hell it is implied that we have to be properly dressed before we face God. The only thing left in us when we die is our soul because our mortal bodies are left to rot on earth and turned to dust. We have a merciful God that is why we have purgatory. God knows that it is not easy for man to maintain a perfect, free of stains and spotless soul at all times during our lifetime and could still have the hope of being with God in heaven. Based on our Catholic teachings and in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant in Matthew 18:32-35, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?' Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart." This place being spoken of here where the servant was tortured until he was able to pay back the whole debt is like purgatory. In this place he was given the chance to pay back the whole debt unlike in the Parable of the Wedding Feast when he was immediately thrown away in darkness. Before this story gets any longer and even more elaborate without the main point being stressed, the emphasis lies in the fact that we are all called, as the gospel today tells us and what I have also mentioned to the unforgiving servant in purgatory, to be perfect just as our Heavenly Father is Perfect. It is so difficult to follow what is being asked of us in the gospel
but we are all called to the challenge for we are God's children who are winners and achievers. We are perfectly made by our perfect Father. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 5:43-48
43 Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? 48 So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”