September 11, 2025 – Thursday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time
Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091125.cfm)
Our interactions with one another, whether with friends, family members and other people around us create potential friction and conflicts in our relationships. Relationships are strained and broken apart when we also lose the patience to listen and understand one another. When we too are trapped in the temptation to take revenge and generate violence in whatever form, the more we are buried into pain.
Yet, when selfishness and hatred slowly fade, then, we also begin to repair and reconcile damaged relationships.
Paul in his Letter to the Colossians expressed thoughtfully and wonderfully how our relationships must be taken cared. He said, “put on… heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another.”
As a father and brother to the Christian Community in Colossae, Paul was very concerned how relationships among the Christians must be formed. Thus, Paul continued to remind them, “over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts.”
The spirit of the relationship in our homes and communities, indeed, must be centered on love, of the love of Christ. This brings peace and healing into our heart troubled by hurts and pains, disappointments and frustrations.
Jesus, in the Gospel, radically calls us as well, “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
The call to love, to truly love, is first a transformation of our own hearts. This means that our heart, when centered on Christ and his peace, releases hatred and aggression. This heart embraces the courage to forgive and expresses kindness to those who have hurt us.
This is truly difficult especially to a person bruised many times by others. Yet, true freedom lies in the heart that rests on Christ, for he is peace.
And so we pray, “that in whatever we do, in word or in deed, we do everything in the name of Jesus our Lord, giving thanks to the Father through him.” Hinaut pa.
A DOSE OF GOD TODAY 
Leave a comment