First Reading (Deuteronomy 26,16-19)
Reading of the Book of Deuteronomy.
Moses addressed the people of Israel and said to them: “Today the Lord your God commands you to fulfill these precepts and decrees. Keep them and observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have chosen the Lord today to be your God, to follow his ways, and to keep his precepts, commandments and decrees, and to obey his voice. And the Lord has chosen you today, to be a special people for him, as he promised you, in order to observe all his commandments. Thus he will make you illustrious among all the nations that he has created, and will make you superior in honor and glory, so that you may be the holy people of the Lord your God, as he said.”
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Gospel (Matthew 5,43-48)
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew.
— Glory to you, Lord.
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said: ‘You will love your neighbor and hate your enemy!’ But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you! For if you love only those who love you, what reward will you have? And if you only salute your brothers, what do you do? extraordinary? Don’t the pagans do the same thing? Therefore, be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
— Word of Salvation.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
My brothers and sisters in Christ,
I would like to begin this reflection with a question: what does it mean for you to be a different person? In today’s world, there are many possible answers. Being successful, having a brilliant career, being admired by others, accumulating material goods… But is this what God expects of us? Today’s readings show us that being truly special in the eyes of the Lord is something very different from what the world values.
In the first reading, from the book of Deuteronomy, God makes a covenant with the people of Israel. He declares: “Today the Lord your God commands you to practice these precepts and these norms; you shall keep them and practice them with all your heart and with all your soul” (Dt 26:16). The Lord does not just want outward obedience, but a deep commitment, coming from the heart. More than rules, He wants a relationship of love, fidelity and dedication.
God goes on to say that if the people are faithful, He will make them “His own possession” and “a holy people.” This is a call to be different, to stand out in the world not through wealth or power, but through holiness. But what does it mean to be holy?
Here comes the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus presents us with one of the greatest challenges of Christian life: loving our enemies. “You have heard that it was said: ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy’. But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you!” (Mt 5,43-44). This teaching disconcerts us because it challenges our human nature. Is it easy to love those who treat us well, but to love those who harm us? This seems impossible!
Jesus teaches us that Christian love cannot be limited to those who do us good. He invites us to reflect on God: “Your Father who is in heaven makes the sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust” (Mt 5:45). If God treats everyone with mercy, how could we act differently? If we want to truly be children of God, we must imitate His unconditional love.
Let’s think about a gardener. He takes care of the garden and waters all the plants, without discriminating which flowers are more beautiful or which trees bear the most fruit. He knows that they all need water to grow. This is how God is: He gives His grace to everyone, regardless of merit. And He calls us to do the same.
But how can we love those who hurt us? First, we need to understand that love does not mean feeling affection. Jesus is not asking us to have affection for those who have harmed us, but to wish those people well, not to harbor hatred in our hearts and to be able to forgive. Love for the enemy manifests itself in concrete attitudes: in not returning offense for offense, in praying for those who hurt us, in seeking reconciliation whenever possible.
This does not mean being naive or allowing injustice. Christian forgiveness does not ignore error, but transforms the heart. Let us think about the cross: Jesus, unjustly condemned, could have cursed His executioners. But He chose the path of love: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). This is the height of Christian love.
Our challenge, then, is to take this love into everyday life. How can we live this message in our daily lives? Maybe it’s forgiving a relative we’ve been fighting with for years. Maybe it’s being kind to a difficult coworker. Maybe it’s praying sincerely for someone who has hurt us. Small gestures can transform the world.
Jesus concludes by saying: “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48). This perfection does not mean never making mistakes, but seeking a love that is increasingly similar to that of God. This is the true path of holiness.
Let’s go back to the initial question: what does it mean to be a differentiated person? The world will say that they are those who accumulate wealth, status or fame. But for God, special are those who live love, mercy and holiness. True greatness is not in what we have, but in how we love.
May we leave here today with this commitment: to be different not according to the criteria of the world, but according to the heart of God. May He help us to love as He loves, to forgive as He forgives, and to live each day as His holy people. Amen.
