The theme for Sunday’s reading was to love your enemies and to treat them as you wish to be treated. We are called to respect all life (our own, family, neighbours, immigrants etc) and respond to our baptismal vow to try to love others as God loved us. We are to give and forgive - Jesus is the ultimate role model for this. Jesus’ death on the cross shows the extent to which he gave and he then forgave those that put him there when he said “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do!” The readings don’t pull any punches. If we say the right thing and then follow up with poor behaviour, then we are a hypocrite. If we point out the flaws of others yet fail to amend our own, then we are a hypocrite. We, as humans, will naturally fail at times. The importance lies in how we handle our failures and how we treat those around us.

Reconciliation 2022