Today's Gospel March 7 2020 with comment

From the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Matthew 5,43-48.
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: «You have understood that it was said: You will love your neighbor and you will hate your enemy;
but I say to you: love your enemies and pray for your persecutors,
so that you may be children of your heavenly Father, who makes his sun rise above the wicked and the good, and makes it rain on the righteous and the unjust.
In fact, if you love those who love you, what merit do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do this?
And if you only greet your brothers, what do you do extraordinary? Do not even the pagans do this?
Be perfect therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. »

San Massimo the Confessor (ca 580-662)
monk and theologian

Centuria on love IV n. 19, 20, 22, 25, 35, 82, 98
Christ's friends are persevering in love to the end
Watch over yourself. Be careful that the evil that separates you from your brother is not in you, and not in him. Hurry to reconcile yourself with him (cf Mt 5,24:XNUMX), so as not to distance yourself from the commandment of love. Do not despise the commandment of love. It is for him that you will be the son of God. While if you transgress him, you will find yourself the son of hell. (...)

Did you know the evidence caused by the brother and the sadness led you to hate? Do not let yourself be overcome by hatred, but overcome hatred with love. Here is how you will win: by sincerely praying to God, defending him or even assisting him to justify him, considering that you yourself are responsible for your trial, and patiently enduring it until the darkness has passed. (...) Do not allow to lose spiritual love, since there is no other way of salvation for man. (...) A reasonable soul who has hatred against a man cannot be at peace with God who gave the commandments. It says: "If you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your sins" (Mt 6,15:XNUMX). If that man doesn't want to be at peace with you, at least try to hate him, pray for him sincerely and don't say bad things to anyone about him. (...)

Try as much as possible to love everyone. And if you still can't do it, at least don't hate anyone. But if you can't do that, don't despise the things of the world. (...) The friends of Christ truly love all beings, but they are not loved by everyone. Christ's friends are persevering in love to the end. The friends of the world instead persevere until the world leads them to collide with each other.