Good morning good people,
May the Lord give you peace and blessings in the Holy Spirit. It is 17th June 2025. We reflect on 2 Corinthians 8:1–9 and Matthew 5:43–48
Good news spreads where goodness abounds.
St. Teresa of Calcutta inspires us, “Charity, patience, and tenderness are very beautiful gifts. If you have them, you want to share them with others.”
Is it possible to be happy while loving our “enemies”? Both readings today attempt to answer this pressing question. To be truly content means to embrace inconvenience for the sake of the common good and for the benefit of our brothers and sisters.
Being a Christian is an invitation to stand apart—by the way we give, and by the way we love. Only in this selfless way do we discover lasting joy and the courage to love those who struggle to love us in return.
Many among us have lost jobs, loved ones, and financial stability. Some are still confined, restricted by circumstance. Yet, amid this pain, generosity has not died. In fact, it has grown stronger. During the pandemic, many became more compassionate and giving—even when life was not easy.
But let us be vigilant: some may begin to justify withholding help, blaming the times. Like the Macedonian believers, who, despite deep poverty, overflowed with rich generosity, we too are called to be generous like kings, even when we feel like paupers.
St. Paul urges the Corinthians, “Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness… so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.” (2 Cor. 8:7)
Jesus, too, proposes a radical model of love: to give in secret, to forgive from the heart, to love those who do not love us back. Our giving should be known only to God—not for applause, not for gain, but for love. Forgiveness is the highest form of giving—one that makes our hearts God’s dwelling place.
“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt. 5:48)
Let us ask the Lord for the courage to be different—to love bravely and to give selflessly.
May we become living echoes of this perfect love—choosing to love, even when it hurts. Let our giving be a quiet hymn sung only for the ears of Heaven.