1 Peter 3:8-22
Live in Love and Harmony with Others
8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For,
“Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep their tongue from evil
and their lips from deceitful speech.
11 They must turn from evil and do good;
they must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
Jesus wants us to be Disciples of His...We can be Disciples of His, if we love one another...This is True, because it is one of His Last Commands to His Disciples...As Jesus LOVES us, so we also must love one another...By this everyone will know that you are My Disciples, if you love one another...Jesus wants us to be together and live in harmony...Later, and right before He is to be arrested, He reminds His Disciples to love one another in His Parable of the Vine and the Branches...He says "I have LOVED you as the Father has LOVED Me...Now continue in My LOVE...I have obeyed My Father’s commands, and He continues to LOVE Me...In the same way, if you obey My commands, I will continue to LOVE you...I have told you these things so that you can have the true happiness that I have...I want you to be completely happy...This is what I command you: Love each other as I have LOVED you...The greatest love people can show is to die for their friends...You are My friends if you do what I tell you to do."...
St. Peter, one of Jesus Original Disciples, learned this lesson very well...St. Peter writes: Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble...Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult...On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing...For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech...They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it...For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.”...Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?...But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed...“Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”...But in your hearts revere Christ as LORD...Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have...But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander...For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil...For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God...He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit...After being made alive, He went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built...In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God...It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him...
We today need to be on guard today with a divisiveness that is spreading because of a two party politically system that seems to be floundering...One's belief system is how we make sense of the world around us...One's belief system is influenced by what we tell ourselves and what makes us more comfortable...Our belief system is much affected by our past and current experiences...Our belief system should be influenced by the Truth and us searching for the Truth and not by what makes us feel comfortable...Our belief system should not be influenced much by an opinionated conversations with others or by what we read on the internet and watch on TV, unless it is True...Our perceptions of things really do make up our reality...We should never forget that we are made in the Image of God and are children of God...
A few years ago the Pope met with several bishops discussing the topics of the day...In their conversation, the Holy Father told the bishops we need to be on guard against allowing the angry rhetoric that comes from a polarized society, especially in an election year, to seep into discussions about the life of the church, Pope Francis told a group of U.S. bishops...Some bishops during the discussion of politics with Pope Frances brought up the this issue on polarization in society and how this is affecting the church...One bishop described for the Pope "how as a society, you know, we're more and more divided, and people attack each other."...
Pope Francis said this about the polarization of politics "sometimes happening in the church when different factions try to find something to attack people on personally, and so the Holy Father spoke about this politicization of pastoral life."..."that in a political system where there are only two parties, there's more of a tendency to be this way."...
The Pope on the discussion with the bishops "gave us some ideas on how to continue helping people to understand the reality of immigration," but also spoke about how increasing polarization on the issue is found not only in the United States but in many parts of the world..."He insisted to us that it is important to see the need for dialogue between people and to understand that we all are children of God," Archbishop Gomez told Catholic News Service...