DAILY HOMILIES #perfect

In today’s Gospel passage, we hear Jesus describe Himself as a shepherd who abandons the ninety-nine in search of the lost sheep. Even though the sheep deserves to be punished for going astray, the shepherd’s attitude depicts pity, care, and concern. In other words, by taking our human flesh, Jesus brings to pass the prophecy of Isaiah. As if it wasn’t bad enough to risk the ninety-nine in search of the lost sheep, most of us reject the shepherd who has left everything to look for us.

Our Responsorial Psalm today sings: “The Law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul; the decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the command of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eye… They are more precious than gold than a heap of purest gold.”

In straightforward terms, Jesus defines perfection as the ability to love our enemies and treat those who persecute us with kindness. To be perfect is to be like God, who lets His rain fall on both good and evil. To be perfect is to love your enemies and pray for them like Jesus Christ on the Cross, who asked for forgiveness from those who hung Him. Indeed, this is not something easy, but it is the essence of perfection.

Can you change your feelings toward your enemies? What if you decide no longer to talk about them in a negative light? What if decide to remember only those good things they did to you and not the painful ones? What if you start praying for their conversion and deliverance rather than for God to destroy them?

Jesus taught us to “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The essence of this perfection is loving our enemies.

Jesus tells us today to aim for perfection because we serve a perfect God. Of course, children must resemble their father. Since God is perfect, we who claim to be His children must reflect God’s perfection in us.