THE HOLIEST IN THE COMMUNITY

Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time A

Once, one of my professors in my seminary ask a question, and the question is; who is the holiest man in the seminary?

We had different answers, like the one who spends hours in prayers and adoration, or the one who gives arms to the poor, or the one who does the will of God. It is not wrong to answer that. And the professor answers that; it is the one who loves most, even his enemies. You will be holy when you love others, but the most holy guy in the community is the one who loves even his enemies.

St. Paul told Titus, his disciple, to be outstanding in every respect, like faith, discourse, knowledge, and earnestness. But the most important thing is love because, in the end, love remains. Saint John of the Cross: "In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone."

But what is love? St. Thomas Aquinas defines love as "the choice to will the good of the other." St. Paul has a similar test of the genuineness of your love by your concern for others.

We are Christ's disciples, and Jesus tells us if we want to be children of God, we need to "love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us" Loving and will be good for others is not an option for you and me; it is a choice that leads to being perfect, just as our heavenly Father is perfect." . I know it is not easy, but the good news is that we have Jesus within us. Like St. Augustine said, "God is closer to me than I am to myself.” Ask him to help us to love by his love because now body can love without God

We are called to be perfect and to be holiest as Jesus.

My question to reflect today when we spend the day is, am I the holiest in the community?