Brothers and sisters, Saint Paul’s words today strike us with urgency: “Now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” He speaks not as one offering pious theory, but as one who has staked everything on Christ — enduring afflictions, hardships, beatings, and imprisonments. His tone is shaped by his encounter with the living Lord, and by his unwavering determination to follow the radical demands of the Gospel.
And what are these demands? Jesus tells us today: “Offer no resistance to one who is evil… turn the other cheek… go the extra mile… give to the one who asks of you.” These are not easy words. They call us beyond what is natural. They call us to what is divine — to love as Christ loves.
And as we hear these readings, our hearts are heavy with the sorrows of the world. Just this week, we heard of that
terrible plane crash in India, where so many lives were lost and only one person survived. We think, too, of the outbreak of war between Israel and Iran — yet another eruption of violence in a world already so wounded. How do we, as followers of Christ, make sense of such tragedies? How do we look at them through the eyes of faith?
Saint Paul shows us the way. He does not hide from suffering, nor does he give in to despair. Rather, he sees all things in light of Christ crucified and risen. He knows that in a broken world, suffering will come — but he also knows that now is the time to live the Gospel fully, to respond with love, to be instruments of peace and mercy.
The radical commands of Christ today are not naïve. They are not an invitation to ignore evil or pretend that tragedy is not real. No — they are a summons to meet the world’s hatred with love, to answer violence with peace, to respond to loss with hope. When we see innocent lives lost, when we see nations at war, we do not harden our hearts. Instead, we pray. We mourn with those who mourn. We give. We forgive. We become peacemakers, in whatever small or great ways we can.
And here we find the example of Saint Francis of Assisi — a man who, like Paul, embraced these radical commands. Francis did not shrink from a world torn by violence and division. He entered into its wounds with humility, with charity, with peace. He even crossed enemy lines during the Crusades, risking his life to speak to the Sultan — not with weapons, but with words of peace. He shows us that the Gospel way is not withdrawal, but courageous love.
We often forget that when this life ends — however it ends — a new and everlasting life has been prepared for us by God. We have just concluded the Easter Season, wherein we heard Christ promise us that He has gone to prepare a place for us. It is for this reason that He asks us to be full of hope, and not let the tragedies of this world define our identity as sons and daughters of God, destined to be with Him forever.
May our Most Holy Mother, Mary, continue to show us that Jesus suffered and died, poured out his precious Blood for us, so that we can be with him forever in heaven. May she continue to show us, that we have been loved beyond anything we thought possible. And may God bless you… Amen.
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