Bible Text: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” Matthew 5. 43-48
Today marks the reopening of the Church’s doors once again after more than three months of lockdown to deter the rapid spread of the covid- 19 pandemic. The gospel reading is a perfect reminder for every Christian who wishes to follow the Lord in His footsteps. It is reminding us about the basic or the fundamental of Christian life. On this very day we are refreshed of our ultimate goal that is to walk in the perfection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Perfection for Jesus begins in the heart. We have to shape our hearts after the very heart of Jesus. The perfect shape of the heart is no other love. When Jesus reminds us that we have to be perfect as our Father is perfect it is all about loving like our heavenly Father. His love is all about giving His most precious gift to the humanity who is no other than Jesus Christ. He is the perfect icon of the Father’s love. He loves us unconditionally and unselfishly. He loves us to the measure of the cross and He never waited to be reciprocated of His love for us. All He knew is that He is happy to love and give Himself to us without thinking anything in return.
When you come once again into the bosom Church, you will definitely notice that there are set of rules that we have to follow such as physical distancing all the time, proper sanitations, limited use of church facilities, limited movements and no lingering right after the mass. These restrictions are not meant to suffocate us but observing these rules are actually implemented to make everyone safe in the church. Observances of these protocols are opportunities to love our neighbours. We will observe these rules because we love the person next to us. I see this situation as walking in the perfection of the Father. We have to go deeper on the observance of these rules that they are opportunities to be like Jesus. In other words, we do not see them as mere policies of the Saskatchewan Health but it is following the will of God. When we have this idea, rules are not suffocating but definitely liberating.
Please call the office now, let us go back once again to the Lord. Set of rules are not restrictions but golden opportunities to love the Lord and our neighbours and therefore a perfect expression of the gift of freedom.