St. Paul said: Put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another. Jesus said: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well…. Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged.” Faith is not limited to knowing the catechism, reading the Bible, saying your prayers. Faith is about a change of lifestyle, a new way of interacting with the people who are part of my life. But this ethic sets a high bar that demands a whole new approach to life. It can seem too high for the likes of me which is why St. Paul provides the key to attaining the Christian ideal: gratitude. “Do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Once we give thanks because all that we are and all that we have is a gift from God, then living the way of Jesus becomes possible.
