The Gospel for Saturday of the first week in Lent is taken from St. Matthew, 5th chapter 43rd to the 48th verse. Jesus said to his disciples, you’ve heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Heavenly Father. For he makes the sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

If you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brother and your sisters only what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same. So be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect perfection a seductive invitation, often of the ego, to be as perfectly in line with what you think you ought to be or what the culture thinks you ought to be. But I want you to focus on an image in this reading of being not perfect in the sense of the culture in the world, but being perfect children of your Heavenly Father.

And that means that you are born with the destiny of becoming like your Father. What does it mean to be like our Father? The Closing prayer Father, keep us humble, meaning being honest with who we are and what we’re called to do, and be there always as a father who longs for his child to grow into who he believes them to be. Amen.