June 14, 2021

Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

1st Reading: 2 Corinthians 6:1-10

Paradox of the apostolate: a poor man who enriches many

As we work together with Jesus, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, “At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.” See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation. We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labours, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honour and dishonour, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see, we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothin, and yet possessing everything.

Responsorial: Psalm 97:1-4

R./: The Lord has made known his salvation

Sing a new song to the Lord
for he has worked wonders.
His right hand and his holy arm
have brought salvation. (R./)
The Lord has made known his salvation;
has shown his justice to the nations.
He has remembered his truth and love
for the house of Israel. (R./)
All the ends of the earth
have seen the salvation of our God.
Shout to the Lord all the earth,
ring out your joy. (R./)

Gospel: Matthew 5:38-42

The challenge to offer the other cheek and go the extra mile.

Jesus said to his disciples, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

Paul’s tenacity

Among the great phrases in today’s first Reading are: “We work together with Jesus.” “Nw is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation.” What an inspirational character and role-model we have in St Paul.
Today we get some idea of Paul’s heroic perseverance for the sake of the Gospel. At a time when some were criticising Paul for not coming again visit to them, he says them he has often been criticised like this. “We are called imposters, and yet we are truthful; nobodies but in fact are well known; considered dead, yet here we are alive; punished, but not put to death; sorrowful, though always rejoicing; poor, yet enriching many; seeming to have nothing, yet everything is ours.” He could stand firm for his convictions, very aware of the grace of God supporting him. His unswerving fidelity eventually found him numbered among the pillars of the Church. He truly was “poor, yet enriching many; called an imposter, yet truthful.” If we know people like that within our family of faith, thank God for their inspiration.
Jesus’ ideals in the Sermon on the Mount are dramatically exemplified by Paul’s apostolate, in his huge generosity of spirit, willingness to going the extra mile, turning the other cheek, metaphorically, and his gifts with others. The lives of such saints demonstrate the hidden potential in each of us to be givers more than takers, up-builders rather than critics, contributors to love in our world.

Overcome evil with good

Jesus wants his disciples not to repay evil with evil, but to respond to evil with goodness. The worst instinct in human nature is to respond with malice to goodness, as instanced by the rejection and crucifixion of the one who “went about doing good; for God was with him” (Acts 10:38). The best instinct of human nature is to overcome evil with good. This could be termed the divine impulse, God’s own impulse. It was the main characteristic of Jesus. He overcame the evil that was done to him with good. In the very moment when he was wrongly rejected he revealed his love most fully. He lived and died to overcome evil with good.
It is the hardest challenge to remain good in the face of evil, to remain loving in the face of hostility, to be faithful even if one is betrayed, to be peacemakers in a hostile world. We simply could not do it by our own strength alone. We need God’s strength, God’s resources, God’s Spirit – but this strength and grace is promised to us. St Paul calls on us “not to neglect the grace of God you have received.” God is always gracing us and if we rely on his grace we can keep working towards that ideal of overcoming evil with good.