A word from—Fr. Chris
You are to be holy as the Lord your God is holy (Lev. 19:1-2)
The wish and prayer of any good parent is that his or her children grow up to be a good and responsible member in the family and society and to promote the dignity and image of their family.
The Book of Leviticus tells us that the Lord God called the prophet Moses to inform the Community of Israel that they have to be holy as He, Himself is holy: As we say in jovial language, “like father, like son.”
In the holiness of God is His love, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, reward etc. His creation of the universe and the entire humanity is all from His love including many good people and those who turned out to be bad in behavior. However, in His love for all as the Scripture said, “He allowed the sun to rise for the good and the bad and His rain to fall on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). Jesus Christ, the son of God made Man, in His ministry demonstrated this love for all in His life and ministry and died for all that they may be saved.
There was a story of an Army General who took his bodyguard to count the dead and wounded of the opposing army at a cease fire in battle. Suddenly they heard a wounded soldier crying for water. The General asked his bodyguard to rush to get some water for him. As he was reaching him to give him a drink, the wounded soldier, unknown to them had hid a rifle under his clothes, aimed to shoot the General. The bodyguard, infuriated at this attempt on the life of his superior, wanted to kill the wounded soldier but the General restrained him and insisted he should be given water to drink. This is called a heroic act of love on the part of the General who demonstrated love of his enemy, not only to give a drink of water but spared his life.
We may not all go that length like the Army General but this is a typical example and the challenging nature of love for others in spite of what they are to us. It is not always easy but Our Lord and God is asking us to challenge ourselves, by his grace, and go the extra mile to imitate him in his holiness for our salvation.
Fr. Chris
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