Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect

17 JUNE (Mt 5,43-48)

Holy Scripture does not have a metaphysical language on God. Metaphysics belongs to the structure of Greek thought. Instead, the language of the practical, real, visible, testable and verifiable belongs to it. To show its omnipotence over the entire creation Moses, to God’s command, performs ten powerful signs in Egypt. Genesis itself shows us the same divine omnipotence with the story of creation from nothing. Everything is from God by command, will and Word.

When the Holy Scripture reveals that God is holy and wants his people holy; it does not start from a doctrinal, theological description of holiness. It manifests what the sanctity of God who wants the children of Israel holy, consists in. It is universal love. It is love that does not exclude, but includes. It is a love that does not turn away, but gets close. It is a love that does not take away, but gives. It is a love for all people, including foreigners, strangers, poor, small, humble, blind and lame. It is a love that respects even the smallest rules of justice. Even weights and measures are included in the rule of God’s holiness.

The sun is the source of life. With its warmth the entire earth awakens. Vegetation gets to work to produce the precious fruits which then give life to man. Water is also an essential powerful means entirely in the service of life. Well, who does the Lord give these so valuable gifts to? Perhaps only to those of his people and among them only to those who are pious and devout, holy and righteous, good and magnanimous? Does he not perhaps give them to any other man in all the land, regardless of his justice, honesty, goodness of heart, works of mercy and compassion that he does? This is the holiness of God, his love for all, without making any distinction. As the sun shines on just and unjust, saints and sinners, so does the love of God shine upon all of humanity.

This divine rule of holiness or of love for all is said to be perfection in the Gospel according to Matthew. Jesus calls us to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. He always asks us for a universal love, without any distinction. The Christian must imitate the Father who gives his sun and water to every man. He must imitate Lord Jesus who gives himself from high on the cross for all in the forgiveness of sins. He cannot make a distinction between people. He loves some of them and hates the others. He serves some of them and despises the others. With some he is one heart and soul and with others he is separated and divided. With some he shows to be compliant, joyful, full of admiration, with others instead he shows to be disdainful, insulting, distant and far. This distinction is a true moral perversion.

“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, 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.

The disciple of Jesus is asked not to ever make any distinction between men. He must love his enemies and pray for his persecutors. He is constituted in Christ “redeemer” of man, not of this or that man, but of every man. Who redeems cannot make any distinction. All must be redeemed, all conducted onto the way of salvation, all brought back into the Father’s house; he must offer himself as a sweet odoursacrifice for all. It is quite obvious that if the Christian participates in Christ, with Christ, through Christ, to the mystery of the redemption of man, every judgment is denied him by the ministry that he carries out. One cannot be expiator and judge at the same time, neither can he work both for salvation and damnation. Who wants to work in Christ for the redemption of his brothers, must become one with Christ, if he wants to fulfill the great mystery of redemption and salvation of his brothers. His must be a love of most pure redemption, justification and vicar atonement.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints make us tools for atonement.