WORD 2day: Tuesday, 11th week in Ordinary time
June 18, 2019: 2 Corinthians 8: 1-9; Matthew 5: 43-48
Among us friends we have a good laugh whenever we think of an elderly religious who was put in charge of the farm that belongs to a community. Every year at the annual audit he was used to repeating a remark, in his own inimitable modulation: "what I put I get, what I get I put...no profit, no loss, no problem".
If we look at the love that God had lavished upon humanity, he would not have got back even a tiny fraction of what he has put in! Incarnation is just one of the many mighty investments that God had made on our behalf (cf. 2 Cor 8:9)... but consider the dividends! God seems to be such a bad business person and the strangest part of it is, Jesus invites us to follow God's logic!
St. Paul presents an example of the community of Macedonia to his beloved community of Corinth. He calls them to excel in their faith, to reach the heights of authenticity in their faith. And the way he proposes is, as the people of Macedonia, to be compassionate towards the others, those in want, those in need! Paul is but reiterating the invitation of Christ to all his followers - be you perfect, as your heavenly father is perfect! And the way to perfection that Jesus proposes is in Love - a love that does not expect any appreciation in return, a love that does not expect anything in return, a love that does not expect even love in return. A tough call even for the saintliest among us - to love and expect nothing in return!
Infact, when something is expected in return it is no love! That is why God's love is unconditional and every love that is genuine, is with absolutely no tags attached. Love is merely a giving, an offering, a self-offering. And obviously, it involves a great risk of rejection or depreciation, but that risk cannot stop me from loving. That is the point. How well said by Mother Teresa, 'Love until it hurts'. Truly Christ-ian!!! Nothing else is fitting enough for true God's children. Let's love without counting the cost.