7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

As Christians, we worship a God who loves us so much that he became human for our sake and went the extra mile of love, dying an excruciating and humiliating death on a cross. St. Paul assures us in today’s Second Reading (1 Corinthians 15:45-49) that as we are human and in the likeness of Adam – complete with sin – so we will also take on the likeness of Jesus, the heavenly one.

That’s a reassuring thought when we read today’s Gospel (Luke 6:27-38), in which Jesus describes what he expects from those who follow him. We are called to see with God’s eyes – to see our enemies as brothers or sisters and to love them. We are to return good to those who mistreat us. This is one of the most challenging things that God expects of us.

In the First Reading (1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23), we get a glimpse of God’s ability to transform people. David, even though he knows that Saul plans to kill him, spares Saul’s life when David has a chance to do him harm instead. His reverence for God’s anointing of Saul is what stays his hand. David chooses the “higher ground” so to speak, so that centuries later this same lesson would be taught by his descendent and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Often, we fall short of the standards Jesus set for us, but other times we might come close, as David did in the First Reading. Could we take time out of a busy day to listen to a friend who needs to talk, or give us a free day to volunteer at a place of need? Do we call on reserves of patience to listen quietly when an angry friend or colleague complains to us?

Because we are human, we might not live out these expectations consistently, but if we stay close to Jesus in prayer, we can trust that he is transforming us, step by step, into his image. As Lent approaches in just ten days from now, take advantage of this special season to spend more time with Jesus and more time serving others, allowing Jesus to transform you.