38 You heard that it was said to the ancients: An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. 39 But I say unto you, Do not resist evil; before anyone who hurts you on your right cheek, turn the other one too; 40 And to him who would like to put you in lawsuit and take your clothes, leave the cloak also; 41 And to anyone who will charge you for a mile, go with him two. 42 To him who asks you, give; and whoever would like to borrow from you, do not refuse it. 43 You heard that it was said: You will love your neighbor, and you will hate your enemy. 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who outrage you and persecute you; 45 That you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven: who causes his sun to rise on bad and good, and rains on righteous and unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Do not publicans do the same? 47 And if you embrace your brothers only, what do you do more? Don't the Gentiles do that too? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, just as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.
Obtained from the Reina-Valera Version 1960 © Bible Societies in Latin America, 1960. Renewed © United Bible Societies, 1988.
Comments to Reading
These days, the rape and murder of a girl, a little girl named Fatima, filled the headlines of the newspapers and electronic media, and also filled the Mexican society with hatred, amid this collective hatred voices calling for the death penalty for those responsible, a couple of limited resources and preparation, without this recognition implying a justification for such terrible action, before that, the facilities where they were held, after being detained by the authorities, were surrounded by citizens desirous of lynch the alleged perpetrators.
This intention of lynching moves me to reflection, first of all, to feel the pain for a fact that plagues and fills a family with pain, but even more painful, the terrible ordeal that that little girl of only seven years had to live in the hands of these people, but I remembered that Jesus, in this reading, asks us not to be filled with resentment that obscures our path to eternal salvation.
Also reflect on the fact that, as Christians, we cannot become executioners or judges of the actions of these beings, for God, through Christ teaches us to go against the natural instinct involved in responding to his reprobable actions, with others also reprehensible, that we do not seek revenge, so that we take advantage of the opportunity to maintain our Christian values, instead of being part of the plan that strikes us, either individually, or as in this case, as a society,
I believe that this reading of Matthew is faithfully interpreted in the Peace Prayer, attributed to another Saint, Saint Francis of Assisi, who says:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
That where there is hate, I put love.
That there where are offense, I put forgiveness.
That where there is discord, I put the union.
That where there is error, I put the truth.
That where there is doubt, I put the Faith.
That where despair, I put hope.
Where darkness is, may I bring the light.
That where there is sadness, I put joy.
Grant me my Lord,
that does not seek to be comforted, but to console,
That does not seek to be understood, but to understand,
That does not seek to be loved, but to love.
Because it is giving as we receive,
It is forgetting oneself as one finds oneself,
It's forgiving, as you forgive us,
And dying in You, is how we resurrect eternal life.
