Greetings on this the Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Readings: 1 Kgs 21:17-29; Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 11 and 16; Mt 5:43-48
Love is rational
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? But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father. Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Why do we limit love or the effort of the acts of love? Is it not true everyone loves his own? How then is perfect love so different than this we call natural love which is closely related to mere biology of instinct, intuition or romance. Rational love is love based upon intellect, reason or spirituality (using wiki to move things along: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rational_love). Rational love recognizes that love begets love and multiplies itself as it is allowed to grow. Love is, at the least, rational and so much more. Divine love is based on the transcendence of one to another.
Love is Perfect
Our readings today bring together many facets of understanding perfect love. The essential parts are there.
In our first reading, Ahab is found out. Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me out, my enemy?” “Yes,” he answered. Ahab and his wife did a really unspeakable thing to take a man’s life so as to occupy Naboth’s ancestral heritage for a convenient vegetable garden. Ahab relents of his bad behavior – although it is fair to question if the ‘finding out’ is the reason, the ‘threat of punishment’ is the reason or the ‘shame of being horrible in action’ as the reason. Nowhere is the offence against love itself even considered.
For the LORD, he doesn’t ask or expand the question as I just did. It is enough to relent the action. An imperfect contrition, yes. But enough. Then the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself before me? Since he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his time. As to the evil in his son’s time is a consequential )not intentional) reflection of the imperfect confession. The evil remains at some proximity with Ahab to do further damage in time. His contrition limits the forgiveness.
The psalmist gives a more spiritual reason for contrition, love itself has been violated. Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is before me always: “Against you only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight.”
Here the psalmist acknowledges the more perfect contrition: Against you only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight. My sin is against love itself.
Here then the commonality, both Ahab and King David (the psalmist) appeal to perfect love itself to remove the sin. It is divine love that can obliterate our worst errors and the horrible consequences both now and in the future (by way of our conversion to love). Yet more so the final reason. Forgiveness is the desire to repair the relationship at the root. Love of the enemy is to seek the root repair needed to share life together.
This then Jesus summarizes today as So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect. Which is a recapitulation of His most important command, I give you a new commandment; love one another as I have loved you.
Reflection
The sacred readings today allow us to follow Jesus to the great commandment of unconditional love (love of enemy removing a powerful condition and adds a powerful remedy – root cure). Natural love gives way to rational love which gives way to the unconditional. Imperfect contrition gives way to perfect contrition which gives way to perfect love.
Personal Reflection
When I fail to forgive I am acknowledging that I do not want the core remedy between me and the Other. This is a harsh reality that grounds us in the words of both King Ahab and King David. Forgive me. Yet my hope is in the ask. If the Lord forgives me my offense against love, then the root cure is to become love itself. It’s a journey I am willing to take. A journey I must take. The Our Father has one requirement of us: as we forgive those who trespass against us.
First Reading
When Ahab heard these words, he tore his garments and put on sackcloth over his bare flesh. He fasted, slept in the sackcloth, and went about subdued. Then the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself before me? Since he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his time.
Responsorial
Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Gospel Acclamation
I give you a new commandment; love one another as I have loved you.
Gospel
But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father.
Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry