Eleventh Week of Ordinary Time
18th June 2024 (Tuesday)
Psalter: Week 3
Reading of the Day
First Reading: 1 Kings 21:17-29
[After the death of Naboth,] The word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, “Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession. And you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, Have you killed and also taken possession? And you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood.’” Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord. Behold, I will bring disaster upon you. I will utterly burn you up, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. And I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the anger to which you have provoked me, and because you have made Israel to sin. And of Jezebel the Lord also said, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the walls of Jezreel.’ Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat.” (There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited. He acted very abominably in going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the Lord cast out before the people of Israel.) And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster upon his house.”
Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 11 and 16 (R. see 3a)
R/. Have mercy, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. A new commandment I give to you, says the Lord, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
R/. Alleluia.
Gospel : Matthew 5:43-48
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Tuesday – Eleventh Week of Ordinary Time
Guidelines: God not only teaches us but demands from us a life of sound values. He Himself follows them and sets an example for us. He is a God who does what He says
1. “You be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”, exhorts Jesus in the gospel. He proposes God the Father Himself as the model of perfection. Perfection is a catchword and is the target and goal of many. Many aspire to and strive for perfection. But mostly it is a perfection concerning worldly matters and interests.
2. Mostly, people seek perfection in intelligence, competence, talent, and skill. Accordingly, perfection is equated with excellence and success. One is perfect when he excels and succeeds in a particular aspect or field of life. The problem with this kind of understanding of perfection is, that it is very partial, limited, and shallow.
3. For example, one may be perfect in his job, profession, business, art, or capacity. But he may be miserably imperfect and morally inadequate in the other details of his life. That is why they are not worth-imitable for a holistic life.
4. It is in this context, that Jesus places before us the model par excellence – God Himself. In which way God is perfect and His perfection is the model? His perfection is holistic. It is a perfection of virtue and value. A concrete instance is seen in the first reading in the case of king Ahab. Ahab got an innocent Naboth murdered and grabbed his land. So according to the principle of justice, Ahab deserves to be punished.
5. But, when he repented, God’s mercy forgives him and spares him. This is the real perfection that harmonises justice and mercy. Jesus further clarifies this in the gospel. It is a perfection of love that loves even the enemies, and prays even for those who persecute us. It is a perfection that greets and is courteous even to strangers. It is a perfection that is equitable to all without any discrimination because He lets His sun shine and rain fall both on the just and unjust. It is a perfection that does good selflessly without expecting any return or reward.
Practice: What is the type of perfection we are seeking? Where are the best of our efforts directed? Is it to perfect ourselves in some competence and skill only? How keen are we to become perfect in the path of virtue, character and commitment?
