Fourth Friday of Ordinary Time

Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels. Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment, and of the ill-treated as of yourselves, for you also are in the body. Let marriage be honored among all
and the marriage bed be kept undefiled, for God will judge the immoral and adulterers. Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you.

Brotherly love is a powerful and profound action. It requires us to see everyone as our brothers and sisters in Christ and to treat them with charity and respect. For we are all heirs to the Kingdom of God, and as such we should seek to live in peace and love with each other. We cannot do this if we let petty differences, old grudges, or any other prejudices enter into our relationships with others. We might not like what a person does, but that doesn’t give us a right to disown him. We are all children of God with inherent dignities that must be respected even in those we most dislike. This dignity also calls upon us to honor each other be it as family members, friends, or strangers. It requires us to set aside our personal desires and choose what is best for all God’s children. If we live according to the way of brotherly love, then we shall have but one Heavenly Father for our protector, who shall never forsake or abandon us.

Are our lives built upon brotherly love? How do we treat our brothers and sisters in Christ, especially when they are difficult to love? Have we chosen to love God the Father and His children above all else in this world?

O Lord, free us of those things that keep us from loving all others as our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Amen.