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Catholic lectionary for 19 June 2023

King James Version (en)

2 Corinthians, Chapter 6,  verses 1-10

1 That he hath approved himself a faithful minister of Christ, both by his exhortations, 3 and by integrity of life, 4 and by patient enduring all kinds of afflictions and disgraces for the gospel, 10 Of which he speaketh the more boldly amongst them, because his heart is open to them
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:
But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;
By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,
By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;
As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Matthew, Chapter 5,  verses 38-42

38 exhorteth to suffer wrong
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

NOTES

 

How can a Christian witness of the Kingdom, which "is not of this world"? It is of course possible to try to say something by words, but indeed, when it is about things, which are impossible neither to see, nor to feel, words remain often only an abstraction. And doesn’t fit into the consciousness of the inhabitant of "this world", as it is possible, for example, to give his life, in order to obtain it again even in a greater fullness... 

 

Christ's commandment to love our enemies, offenders, and persecutors is perhaps one of the commandments hardest for us to fulfill. Of course, one can say, "I love everyone, I forgive everyone, and I have no enemies," but... 

 

'For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?' There is one remarkable saint - Mother Teresa of Calcutta. It is sometimes not easy for us to enter into the prayer experience of the saints, since we are completely different. But she has words that... 

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