Tuesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time

Daily Mass Readings for Tuesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time

Cycle 1 is used in odd numbered years and Cycle 2 is used in even numbered years. The gospel is the same for both years.

• First Reading (Cycle 1) - 2 Corinthians 8:1-9: The Macedonian churches, though impoverished, exhibited abundant joy and generosity, giving beyond their means. Follow Christ's example of sacrificial giving; He, though rich, became poor to enrich us with His grace.
• First Reading (Cycle 2) - 1 Kings 21:17-29: God sends Elijah to confront Ahab, foretelling judgment for his evil deeds and the bloodshed of Naboth. Ahab humbles himself, leading God to delay the judgment until the reign of his son.
• Responsorial Psalm (Cycle 1) - Psalm 146: My soul praises the LORD forever, who made all things, upholds justice, feeds the hungry, sets captives free, gives sight, lifts the downtrodden, loves the just, and protects strangers.
• Responsorial Psalm (Cycle 2) - Psalm 51: Humbly seeking God's mercy, we acknowledge our offenses and plead for forgiveness. May God cleanse us from guilt and grant us the joy of His justice.
• Gospel - Matthew 5:43-48: Jesus instructs his disciples to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them, showing that true righteousness extends beyond loving only those who love them in return. He calls them to imitate God's perfect love, which embraces both the good and the wicked.

Themes for the Daily Mass Readings for Tuesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time

• Love for Enemies: Jesus instructs His disciples to love their enemies, going beyond societal norms and expectations, and showing kindness and goodwill towards those who may oppose or mistreat them.
• Radical Love and Perfection: Jesus presents a higher standard of love and perfection, challenging His followers to love not only those who love them in return but also their enemies, reflecting the all-encompassing love of God.
• Counteracting Hatred with Love: Jesus teaches that responding to hatred and animosity with love and prayers for those who persecute us breaks the cycle of hatred and promotes healing and reconciliation.
• Divine Example: Jesus points to the perfect example of God's love, who causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous, illustrating God's impartial and boundless love for all.
• Sons and Daughters of God: Jesus calls His disciples to emulate their heavenly Father by loving others unconditionally, thereby demonstrating their status as children of God and reflecting His character.
• Holiness and Maturity: Jesus emphasizes the call to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect, indicating the pursuit of holiness and maturity in love as followers of Christ.

Thoughts for Tuesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time

In the gospel for Tuesday of the 11th week in Ordinary Time, Jesus challenges a prevailing mindset by contrasting the conventional teaching of "love your neighbor and hate your enemy" with his radical command to love even our enemies. He calls his followers to a higher standard of love, one that reflects the character of their Heavenly Father.

Jesus urges us to extend love and kindness not only to those who are easy to love, but also to our enemies and those who persecute us. He encourages us to pray for them, seeking their well-being and reconciliation. By doing so, we become children of our Father in heaven, imitating His unconditional love and grace. God's love extends to both the righteous and the unrighteous, and as His children, we are called to emulate this inclusive and selfless love.

Furthermore, Jesus reminds us that loving those who already love us or greeting only our own people is not extraordinary. Even tax collectors and pagans do the same. Instead, Jesus calls us to a higher level of love, surpassing societal norms. We are to embody the perfection of our Heavenly Father, whose love knows no boundaries and extends to all.

As we reflect on this passage, we are challenged to examine our attitudes and actions towards those who may oppose or mistreat us. Jesus invites us to break free from the cycle of hatred and respond with love, grace, and forgiveness. It is through this transformative love that we reflect the image of our Heavenly Father and become agents of reconciliation and peace in a broken world.

May we embrace the radical call to love our enemies, offering prayers and acts of kindness towards them. Let us strive to love others as our Heavenly Father loves, extending grace, compassion, and forgiveness. In doing so, we become beacons of light, embodying the perfect love of our Heavenly Father.

Prayer for Tuesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time

Heavenly Father, we humbly ask for the strength to embrace the radical love taught by Jesus. Grant us the ability to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Help us to strive for perfection by imitating the boundless love and mercy of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.