That you may be children of your heavenly Father

2Cor 8,1-9: Ps 145; Mt 5,43-48
18 JUNE

The Book of Wisdom reveals to us that our God does his every work in view of the salvation of man. Even his correction is always aimed at salvation. If the Father works for salvation, even his children must work for salvation.

For with you great strength abides always; who can resist the might of your arm? Indeed, before you the whole universe is as a grain from a balance, or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth. But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things; and you overlook the sins of men that they may repent. For you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made; for what you hated, you would not have fashioned. And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it; or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you? But you spare all things, because they are yours, O Lord and lover of souls, for your imperishable spirit is in all things! Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little, warn them, and remind them of the sins they are committing, that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O Lord! But as you are just, you govern all things justly; you regard it as unworthy of your power to punish one who has incurred no blame. For your might is the source of justice; your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all. For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved; and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity. But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency, and with much lenience you govern us; for power, whenever you will, attends you. And you taught your people, by these deeds, that those who are just must be kind; And you gave your sons good ground for hope that you would permit repentance for their sins (Cfr. Wis 11,21.12,27).

In the Book of Leviticus God reveals himself as the Saint, that is, as he who wants only the good of his creatures. Even his children must be saints, that is, they will have to want only the good of their brothers. The good must be sought and lived in every relationship with men.

The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy. “You shall not defraud or rob your neighbour. You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your day labourer. You shall not curse the deaf, or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the Lord. “You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment. Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty, but judge your fellow men justly. You shall not go about spreading slander among your kinsmen; nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbour’s life is at stake. I am the Lord. “You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. Though you may have to reprove your fellow man, do not incur sin because of him. Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen. You shall love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord. “Keep my statutes. “When an alien resides with you in your land, do not molest him. You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; have the same love for him as for yourself; for you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt. I, the Lord, am your God. “Do not act dishonestly in using measures of length or weight or capacity. You shall have a true scale and true weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin. I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt (Cf. Lev 19,1-37).

Jesus is the Crucifix given by the Father for the salvation of every man. If the Father gives his Son for the redemption of humanity, those who are his sons in the Son must also give their lives for the salvation of their brothers. As God loves for the salvation of all and gives the Son for all, so every one of his sons in Christ must give his life and everything else for the salvation of all. Universal love of all of themselves, always.

“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, 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. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

In love, the Christian has only one model to imitate: Christ Crucified, gift of the Father for the redemption and salvation of the world. Who wants to live according to this love must never take his eyes off of Jesus, the Crucifix for love of the whole world.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints, teach us to love according to the heart of Crucified Jesus.