Generous Love of Neighbor – Jun 20 – Homily – Fr John Lawrence

 

Fr John Lawrence gives the homily at Bloomington, IN on Jun 20, 2023, on how giving away our riches to enrich others is the best way to become rich, following the example of Christ.

St. Paul encouraged Corinthians to provide aid to Christians in the Holy Land suffering from famine [Acts 11: 27-30 - Prophets from Jerusalem prophesied a famine - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/11?27 -30]. He recalled the exceptional generosity of the Macedonian churches, urging Corinthians to emulate Christ’s example of sacrificing his wealth for the welfare of others [2 Corinthians 8:9 - For your sake he became poor - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2corinthians/8?9]. St. Francis’ commitment to poverty was highlighted as an imitation of Christ's self-emptying, which brought richness of divine nature to humanity [Philippians 2: 6-7 - Christ did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/philippians/2?6 -7]. Following Christ's and St. Francis’ examples, we can aid those in need, fulfilling the commandment of loving our neighbors [Matthew 5:43 - You have heard it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor’ - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/5?43].

Jesus corrected the misunderstanding of 'love your neighbor' to only include friends, teaching us to love our enemies as God does [Matthew 5:44 - Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/5?44]. Our enemies, capable of repentance, should be loved and we should desire their conversion. It is through this love that we can emulate Christ and St. Francis, seeking perfection and the conversion of souls.

In conclusion, we should give everything we have, just like Christ, to whom St. Gregory Nazianzen pointed out as our model [Oration 1: 2 - Christ, the model of our redemption - https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/310201.htm]. To deepen our love and knowledge of Mary, consider subscribing to Missio Immacalatae magazine at missiomagazine.com.

00:00 – Introduction
00:10 – The History and Mission of St. Paul and the Corinthians
01:13 – The Concept of Generosity and Sacrifice in Christianity
02:29 – The Spiritual Poverty and Wealth of Christ
03:15 – Love for Neighbor and the Misinterpretation of Enemy
04:46 – Repentance, Conversion, and Sanctification: Love for Enemies
05:28 – Following Christ's Path: From Descent to Ascension

Ave Maria!

Mass: Tuesday 11th Week of Ordinary Time - Wkdy
Readings:  - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/062023.cfm
1st: 2co 8:1-9
Resp: psa 146:2, 5-9
Gsp: mat 5:43-48

More on the Readings: https://airmaria.com/r?m=1420

Also on Facebook:
and YouTube: https://youtu.be/icWoS-rVFCg