Daily reflection _ what it takes to be perfect


WHAT IT TAKES TO BE PERFECT
What makes us a true Christian? It is all by God's grace. With His grace, we are able to treat others, not as we think they deserve, but as our heavenly Father wishes them to be treated - with loving-kindness and mercy. God is good to the unjust as well as the just.  
Deacon John Ruscheinsky
If someone insults you or tries to take advantage of you, how do you respond?
Our Responsorial Psalm leads us to reflect on the Lord as a lavish Giver. We hear the prayers of the Psalmist as he recalls God's mercy, graciousness and compassion, which pardons, heals and redeems all of us. "The Lord is kind and merciful" (Ps 103:8a). It's easy to love our family, friends and those near to us when they are friendly or on our "good side," but it gets a little more difficult when our neighbor is unpleasant or has wronged us in some way. How do we reach out in love and not get into the line of fire and anger?
Jesus invites us to not fall into the temptation of repaying with unpleasantness and revenge, but rather, do the unexpected. Jesus calls us to accept the challenge of taking a fresh look at the situation and responding with our best selves. Our Bishop Emeritus, William Skylstad, often tells me to "take the high road." There is a lot of wisdom in that very act. Does this mean we become doormats for another's rudeness and wrong doing? No, but it does mean being willing to love, trusting that love can make a positive difference in the long run, even if it is not returned immediately.
St. Ignatius of Loyola said it well, "Teach us to give and not to count the cost." What makes us a true Christian? It is all by God's grace. With His grace, we are able to treat others, not as we think they deserve, but as our heavenly Father wishes them to be treated - with loving-kindness and mercy. God is good to the unjust as well as the just.
Was Jesus exaggerating when He said we must be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect? The meaning of "perfect" in Aramaic is "completeness" or "wholeness" - not lacking in what is essential. God gives us every that is good in Jesus so that we may not lack anything we need to do His Will in our lives. With the Holy Spirit we can change and transform our lives into the image of God and His goodness.
May we bless the Lord from the depth of our souls!