Jesus said to his disciples:“You have heard that it was said,An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.When someone strikes you on your right cheek,turn the other one to him as well.If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,hand him your cloak as well.Should anyone press you into service for one mile,go with him for two miles.Give to the one who asks of you,and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”
REFLECTION
"Should anyone press you into service for one mile,go with him for two miles."
Today we celebrate the memorial of St Antony of Padua, a Franciscan preacher, Doctor of the Church. He taught his fellow Franciscans by way of sermons.
In one of His sermons, he said that a man who is filled with the Holy Spirit speaks in different languages. So I thought, yeah, the apostles were able to speak different languages and were understood by all.
However, St Antony spoke of the different languages or different ways of witnessing to Christ. Such ways would be through humility, poverty, patience and obedience. And in being humble, poor, patient and obedient we speak to others in the languages they recognize and understand.
Actions speak louder than words. So if we preach love and kindness but yet are angry, gossipy, cheap, ungiving, unforgiving or helping only those whom we choose to be kind then we have no Spirit living in us. We should live as the Holy Spirit directs. We should speak as the Spirit speaks and we should act as the Holy Spirit commands.
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