Prince of Peace Parish recently issued the following announcement.

This week’s readings include very familiar Bible verses that I think are exactly what we need to hear in our current culture of protests, politics, and the pandemic.

Romans 13:9 says, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The second reading gives specific clarification to say if you love for your neighbor, that pretty much covers half of the commandments. If you love your neighbor, you will not kill them or steal from them. If you love your neighbor, you are not jealous of what they have, nor want to hurt them by breaking up their marriage through infidelity.

In today’s Gospel, Matthew tells us when we gather in God’s name, He is always there with us: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20). It all comes down to this: Love God and love people. I would like to take credit for that last line, but I am borrowing it from a Danny Gokey song. It perfectly wraps up how these readings are so pertinent to our world today:

We're living in a world that keeps breakin' But if we want to find a way to change it It all comes down to this Love God and love people

What can you do right now to show God’s love to those around you? What can you do to bring love to all the hate pervading our society

Ok. I can’t take credit for that last question either. Josh Wilson asks it in his new song “Revolutionary.” His lyrics end this reflection better than anything I could say:

Why does kindness seem revolutionary When did we let hate get so ordinary What would Jesus do He would love first So we should love first

Original source can be found here.