Merciful like the Father

Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C

Today’s Gospel challenge is not a particularly easy one. It consists of just three words but three very difficult words to live up to: “love your enemies.” Jesus is asking us to make a difficult choice, a choice which runs counter to our instinct. If someone hurts us, our immediate reaction is to hurt them back. If someone acts wrongly towards us, we will immediately think how we can pay them back. However, Jesus tells us that we are to do the exact opposite! Jesus wants us to act in the same way God behaves towards us. God’s love and mercy do not depend on our love of him, neither does it depend on the way we live or on our behaviour. God always loves us. This does not mean, that God approves of wrong or bad behaviour. It means that he continues to love us, even when we sin. God wants us to love him back. This means that we are to do what he asks and to love others and show mercy. He does not wish us to act in the way we feel that others deserve. Jesus tells us, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Does this mean that Jesus is telling us to allow others to do whatever they feel like and mistreat us? Even in this, Jesus gives us an example of how we should behave. When Jesus was in front of the High Priest and the soldier hit him, Jesus did not turn his cheek for another slap. Instead, he asked why he merited the slap. His voice was calm, his words were to the point. Jesus’ question is not that of a coward, it shows courage and a determination to defend his rights yet in a non-violent manner. Jesus wants us to be exemplary, so that others, especially those who wrong us, may change for the better. This is the love Jesus speaks of. He wants us to convert others, so that they too, will follow him.

A reading from the Gospel of Luke (Lk 6, 27-38) 

Jesus said to his disciples: “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. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 

“Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

  1. Read the Gospel story so that you are familiar with it.
  2. Reflect on what the Gospel story is saying to you. Which points would you highlight and why?
  3. Jesus said, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” How easy is it to obey this command?
  4. Think of someone whom you are finding it difficult to love, difficult to forgive. Pray for this person during this coming week, and ask God to bless him/her.
  5. Together with your family find the right time to read this Gospel. The environment helps, so before you start, prepare;
    i. The Bible reading from Saint Luke (6, 27-38)
    ii. A candle
    iii. Cover the table with a white cloth
    iv. A computer/laptop with the reading and clips
    v. Go through the steps with your children (2 age groups are being suggested)
  6. Feel free to adapt to your situation
  7. Be creative 😊 

Have you ever played pretending you were kings and queens? What do kings and queens do? Apart from having big parties, and wearing a crown and beautiful clothes, they also tell the people what they should do so that they live happily together. The king and the queen establish rules. Do you know that even Jesus gives us rules? Let us listen to today’s Gospel, and hear about Jesus’ rules.

  • Jesus wants us to love everyone
  • A printout of today’s activity on cardboard paper
  • Colours
  • Glitter pens
PrintoutDownload

If you were a king or a queen, what rules would you make?

Would you expect the people of your country to obey these rules?

What will you do to those who do not obey?

Jesus is our king. He gave us rules to show us how he would like us to live. He also gave us a way to remember these rules. Do you know a trick Jesus gave us to remember his rules?

Jesus told us to behave towards others, in the same way that we want others to behave towards us. By doing this, we would be remembering his rules and also obeying them!

If your friend has a new toy and you would like to play with it, what would you like your friend to do?

If you wish that your friend shared with you his new toy, you should also do the same with others.

If you break your sister’s toy because you were being careless, what would you like your sister to do? Do you want your sister to break one of your toys? Do you want her to hit you? Do you want to tell her that you are sorry, even if you know that your parents may punish you for what you did?

So if you do not want your sister to break your toys or to hit you, neither should you break the toys, or fight with someone, if this person breaks something which is yours.

Would you like your friends to play with you at school?

In the same way, if someone is alone, you should ask him/her to play with you.

Would you like someone to take your new pencil case, which granny has just bought for you?

Neither should you take something which is not yours, even if you do not have anything like it and you wish you did.

If you do not obey your parents, what do you expect will happen? If you say that you are sorry, would you like to be forgiven, would you want them to love you?

Similarly, you too should accept the fact that others are sorry when they hurt you or they do something which displeases you.
When we love others and we help them, when we forgive them, we are obeying Jesus’ Golden Rule! So that you remember this rule, colour and decorate with glitter, today’s activity sheet. When you are ready, put it on the fridge, so that everyone can see it and remember the rule of our King, Jesus. Whilst doing your colouring, listen to, Love one another.

Sign of the cross 

Dear Jesus, help us to always remember and obey your rule, of behaving towards others, in the way that we wish them to behave towards us. Amen.

What would you do, if during break time, someone comes from behind you, pushes you hard and you fall down? In today’s Gospel, Jesus is going to tell us how he expects us to react in situations like these!

  • Jesus tells us to love others, even those who do not show us love!
  • a sheet of paper for everyone present
  • pencil 

After listening to today’s Gospel, how would Jesus want us to behave in the following situations?

  • Someone hurts us.
  • Someone takes something which is ours.
  • Someone lies about us.

It is not easy to do what Jesus wishes, since Jesus does not want us pay back wrong with wrong! Jesus is not telling us to allow others to hit us or to take our things. Yet he asks us not fight them back or take something which is theirs. Instead, we can, for example, tell a teacher or an adult who is taking care of us, about what happened. It is definately not easy to do what Jesus wants!

Today Jesus is speaking about what we call the Golden rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Therefore, if you wish others to behave well towards you, you should be the first to behave well when you are with them. When we do something which we shouldn’t have done, we would not wish to be continually be reminded about it. We would like to be forgiven. This is what we should also do with others. Jesus wants us to be good with others, even if they do not deserve it. 

You know very well that Jesus used to spend a lot of time praying. Prayer helped Jesus to make good choices. If Jesus prayed, how much more should we make time to pray. What Jesus expects from us is not easy. Nonetheless, through his help we may overcome our instict and do what Jesus wants.

Do you remember what Jesus did when he was on the cross? When he was on the cross, Jesus forgave those who crucified him! Do you think it was easy for Jesus to forgive them?

Today, as Jesus did, we are going to pray for those who hurt us. On a sheet of paper write down this person’s name. Fold the paper and on the outside write down your name. Put it on your prayer table, or underneath the crucifix or picture of Jesus. Make sure that everyday, you pick up this paper and pray to Jesus, so that he takes care and blesses the person whose name you have written down. (note to parents: do this activity with the children. It is important that everyone shows respects, no one needs to open up someone else’s paper to read the name written down on it)

Sign of the cross.

Dear Jesus, we know that you want us to be good to others, and not only with our friends. Help us to love, the way you love us.

When we pray the Our Father, we say “forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who trepass againt us.” Say the Our Father, and pray for the person whose name you have written down.
After saying the prayer, listen to, The Golden Rule.

Gospel in symbols Download here

How to use this space

God speaks to us in many ways, including through the Sunday Scripture readings. Here you will find useful background and activities to better understand the upcoming Sunday's Scripture readings, helping you to connect the Scripture to daily life in a meaningful way.