Gospel
Matthew 5:38-42
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
I really believe that what God in the Gospel asked us to be is beyond our human nature. Beyond what’s natural to us. When someone does something evil to us, it's often a reaction of anger. We feel vulnerable. We feel abused. But what He's saying is so important in the kingdom of God, because what He wants is relationships to be healthy.
And what He's saying is when someone does something evil, be sure and separate that evil from them. They are not the evil they do. Love the one who does the evil and hate and be angry at the evil. But don't direct it to a brother or sister. That's called love.

Closing Prayer
Father, one of your miracles was to open people's eyes. Open our eyes to the beauty of every individual. Give us compassion and understanding when they do things that are difficult for us to accept. Without that, we are doomed to be caught up in becoming like the person who does something evil to us. We want to do evil to them. And we ask this In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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