​In the simplest words, Jesus asks a powerful question: 

“What is unusual about that?”

What is unusual about holding a grudge with someone who hurt you? What is unusual about yelling back at someone who started an argument with you? What is unusual about ignoring someone on the street who is in need? What is unusual about speaking badly about yourself or others?

Often, what is usual or acceptable in the world’s perspective withholds a certain degree of love. To choose love in a difficult situation or within a difficult relationship requires great courage and strength. It is in that very moment when your emotions are biting and your thoughts are justifying your potential response that choosing love is crucial. The smallest act of love holds an incomprehensible magnitude of power. 

This purposely implies that love is not an emotion. Love is a virtue, and it is the greatest of all. 

God loves every single person that has, is, or ever will exist, and He has loved us even through our own sinfulness. What justification could we have for withholding love from any other person? Jesus doesn’t say to befriend our enemies, but to love and pray for them. More so, Jesus doesn’t say to give up the fight with our enemies. Instead, we’re called to fight in a more noble way, with love, and to win them over to God’s side rather than attempt to destroy them.

God wants us to stand out by being out of the ordinary. The “ordinary” or the “usual” in the world revolves around selfishness. The world loves when it feels good or when it is easy or convenient to do so. God loves always, and we, God’s children, are also called to exemplify that radical love.

Ask yourself frequently if the choices you are making are considered “usual” to the world and challenge yourself to break out of the comfort zone, love unconditionally, and be “unusual”.

In what ways is the way I live my life "unusual" compared to the world?

How is the love that Jesus has for me being given out to others in my life?

How am I loving others around me? Am I loving well when it's easy or when it's hard?

"Thank you for loving me, Jesus."

"Help me to follow you and not only the world."

​"Let my life reflect your perfect love."

Spend some time praying for those in your life for whom it's difficult to love. Invite the love of Jesus in and let the Holy Spirit work in your heart so you can choose to love in those hard situations.

N​Sometimes you come across a passage from Scripture that you must work hard to understand, perhaps because it describes a situation that, if you were faced with it in your own life, would invoke in you the exact opposite instinct that the passage prescribes. For me, today’s Gospel has always been one of those passages. Jesus instructs us to “offer no resistance to one who is evil”. Then He describes several situations in which others may either directly harm us, take advantage of us, or force us to do something we don’t want to do. For each of these the response he suggests is far from what most of our initial reactions would be.

What do you think you’d want to do if someone struck you? How do you think you’d feel if someone tried to take something that is rightly yours? Would you be angry if a coworker or sibling was not doing their fair share of the work, and you had to pick up the slack for them? I think most of us would react by striking back somehow in these situations, don’t you?

But this is certainly not how Jesus tells us to behave in these situations. It seems on the surface like He’s telling us we should act like wimps and just roll over and accept whatever injustices come our way, right? Some of us probably think to ourselves, “No way, I’m not going to just take people acting like that towards me.” That reaction does seem more than reasonable.

So, what is the point of what Jesus is suggesting? The core of it really is about humility. What Jesus wants from us is to be unselfish, and to love and trust God enough that we can leave the vengeance to Him. He doesn’t want us to be drawn in by the evil of others and taken down to that level. When we keep ourselves centered on Jesus and the life He gives us, we can more easily forego any immediate desire to retaliate, and instead show the world how much we love God and our fellow human beings.

When someone wrongs you, what is your immediate reaction?

How can you practice humility for throughout today?

How can you keep centered on Jesus when someone wrongs you?

"Turn the other cheek."

"Jesus help me be humble."

"Help me to love others."

When do you get most angry? When a friend doesn't respond right away? When someone cuts you off in traffic? When you get a million spam phone calls? How can you offer up those moments of anger to the Lord today? 

Immediately upon praying with today’s second reading, I was struck by the fact that St. Paul uses the word “courageous” to describe the kind of disposition we as Christians must strive to have during our time in this life. I think it stood out to be me because, if I’m being honest, when I look around at myself and my fellow Christians, “courageous” is not necessarily the word I would use to describe what I see. Lukewarm or, on our good days, committed maybe, but not courageous; at least not in the way that St. Paul must have meant it. 

I mean here’s a man who, alongside the other Apostles and disciples, risked his life everyday to share the Good News of God’s love with those around him. And then here we are, often too consumed with what’s going on in our daily lives that we don’t have time to share the Gospel with others; or, even worse, don’t have time to share our hearts with God. 

And as I was praying through this contrast between my faith and the faith of St. Paul, I felt the Lord speak to my heart: “The only difference between you and St. Paul is that he trusted me.” 

(Talk about a mic drop moment, am I right?) 

But this really shook be because I realized that the key to living a courageous life isn’t the type of personality you have, it doesn’t have to do with what time we live in, or with how old or pious we are. The key to living a courageous life is trust. It’s that simple. 

St. Paul, along with all of the saints were able to be courageous because they intentionally and specifically trusted the Lord. It can seem so hard to be bold, to take a step out in sharing the Gospel with those around us, as least it does to me. But when I trust that God is the one in control, that he can and does make everything work for the good of those who love Him, it’s easy to be brave; because when I trust the Lord, I let him do the heavy lifting. 

So today let’s ask the Lord to deepen our trust in him, that we might have the courage to be bold in his name. 

When you think of having courage, what does it mean to you? How often would you describe yourself on a regular basis as courageous?

In moments when you aren't courageous, what is the reason? 

How can you grow in your trust in God? What are some of the opportunities He gives you to trust that you could take advantage of in order to grow in your trust?

"Give me trust."

"I trust in You."

"You are enough."

Take a chance today to step out in trust. Do something that you know God is asking of you, something that is difficult, even if you don't necessarily feel the courage to do that. Ask God for trust, and step out in boldness in that trust. 

We all know that taking an oath is a big deal. I mean, you are committing to stick to the truth of whatever you are promising and standing up for the great importance it holds. We can see this importance of remaining true to what is said in marriage vows, when military men and women swear to faithfully serve and defend our country, and when a witness takes an oath in a courtroom to “tell the truth the whole truth, so help you God!” That last portion, “so help you God,” is a true prayer if you think about it. We as humans, find it hard to stick to to truth - not just what we think to be true or when we have heard celebrities preach,”live your own truth,” but the truth that Jesus is Lord and following His way is the most life-giving adventure. It is not easy to be truthful in all circumstances and it can make us uncomfortable, but living by the truth of our faith is always living in goodness. 

When it comes to making decisions that seem small, I am the definition of indecisive. Even ordering a meal at a restaurant is tough for me (that’s why my husband usually goes ahead and orders!) but anytime it has come to matters of trusting the Lord’s will in my life, the Holy Spirit has consistently aimed me in the right direction and given peace to allow me to remember the most important truth; to say “yes” to Christ because peace is always clear in those decisions. 

We don’t have to always know exactly what we are doing to follow God’s will. However, our oath to Him is to listen, obey, and love Him with our whole heart and mind. We can know this encouragement in the small matters as we walk on this journey of faith; just little daily things. We all want friends who commit to hanging out with us when we invite them to and give us a clear answer when we ask. It is similar to when the Lord is inviting us to know Him more, to love our neighbor, and to say “yes” to His will daily. 

Lord, help my “yes” be true to you each time you ask something of me.

How can we practice saying truthful and heartfelt “yes’s” to God and more “no’s” to the things that distract us or pull us away from Him? 

​How have I over thought or been indecisive about picking up my cross daily and following God? 

​​Are there areas in my prayer life where I can be let my “yes” be yes and my “no” be no?

"Yes, Lord."

"Come Holy Spirit."

​"Jesus, I trust in You."

Try to cut out sarcasm and exaggeration today. Try and let your yes really mean yes and your no really mean no. See how your relationships start to change when you speak more clearly and honestly.