Whose Enemy?

Today’s Gospel Text:   "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matt 5:43-48

Reflection: Perhaps one of the most easily understood injunction of Jesus and yet most difficult to practice: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Love we must, our enemies, whatever the cost and do good to those who hate us or persecute us by at least praying for them.

By praying for them we may not be able to reach them physically but definitely through the mercies of God we are able to reach them.

In other words, human connectedness is rooted in God connectedness and this is achieved by not just forgiving our enemies but by praying for them as suggested by Jesus.

Who among us can say we don’t have enemies? Even if we mean good to all we still can have enemies, people who will hate us not because of our goodness but on account of their spirit of jealousy and envy.

Being good to all here doesn’t mean to please people and thus be good to them, that would amount to deception and taking God’s place in people’s life.  

Such deception is so very common among people who are leading a life consecrated to God, that they think that we are only called to love and this love means to be good to people at any cost and thus please them at any cost.

Ours is a call to sonship and perfection just like our heavenly God and Father who “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”  (vs. 45)

If such is our calling; to love our enemies, then what do we do to those who act as enemies of God and his gospel?  They may thus choose to be your enemy too. 

These are the godless and the wicked the scripture refers too who will meet their doom. Your enemies have scope to be saved but these enemies of God will meet their doom faster than expected.

Prayer: Lord, bless our enemies and keep them in your mantle of love and strengthen us to do good to them.

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