“SPRINGS OF LIVING WATER”
Daily Spiritual Reflections
20th February 2022
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SUNDAY, SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1 Sm 26: 2,7-9,11-13,22-23; Ps 103: 1-4,8,10,12-13; 1 Cor 15: 45-49; Lk 6: 27-38
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LOVE YOUR ENEMIES
Today’s Gospel points out that Jesus was unorthodox and he differed radically from the leaders or the teachers of the Jewish religion, often called “Pharisees.” Now the difference between Jesus and the others is this: the rabbis believed that God’s people were supposed to live according to rules, the law, Torah, given by Moses and fine-tuned by the rabbis with an addition of numerous other laws. In contrast, Jesus did not believe in just following the law. He believed in fulfilling and surpassing the law. This is not too hard for us to understand if we look at the example that he himself gave us.
“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who persecute you.” Why did the Lord command these things? So that he might free us from hatred, sadness, anger and resentment, and might replace them with the perfect love of God. Jesus lived these commandments himself. St Ambrose says that on the cross, he intentionally prayed for his enemies as an example for us. Because of this example, St Stephen and countless other martyrs have dared to face their persecutors with forgiveness, being participants in the Lord’s suffering and also imitators of his patient gentleness. “He that loves me” says the Lord, “will keep my commandments; and this is my commandment, that you love one another.” He, therefore, who does not love his neighbour does not keep the Lord’s commandment. And he, who does not keep the Lord’s commandment, is not able to love him.
The love of enemies is intimately bound to the love of God; the principal foundation for the love of enemies is the love that God shows to all his creatures impartially and unconditionally. The Lord desires that all people should be saved. His love leads one to accomplish this divine desire and to imitate him in every way possible. To love one’s enemies is also tightly bound to humility. Almost all the difficulties we encounter in loving our enemies are linked to pride. Pride excludes the love of enemies, and the love of enemies excludes pride; if we love our enemies, pride will have no place in our soul. To have compassion for all creatures and love for enemies, and, at the same time, a sincere evaluation of yourself as a sinner and capable of evil thoughts, attitudes and actions, is a sign that the grace of the Lord is in you.
An attitude that seeks to forgive the one who has wronged us makes us worthy to petition God for the forgiveness of our own faults – “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Mt 6:12) – and shows that we take seriously the words of Christ: “If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Mt 6:14). To feel compassion for our enemies is in obedience to Christ’s counsel, given in the context of his teaching on the love of enemies: “Be merciful, as your Heavenly Father is merciful” (Lk 6:36).
Jesus also invites us to pray for our enemies, so that they may be purified of undesirable attitudes like hate, spite, resentment, and pride. It means asking God to take pity on him, forgive him his sins, save him, and give him what is best. This kind of prayer also leads to a growth of compassion and love for the enemy in us. St Isaac the Syrian writes: “He who is compassionate prays tearfully, at all hours, for the animals without reason, for the enemies of truth, and for all who harm him, so that they be kept and forgiven.” “He who loves his enemies” says St. Maximus, “will even suffer for them if the chance is given to him.” To do them good is in answer to the commandments of Christ to “bless those that curse you, do good to them that hate you” and to “do unto others what you would want them do unto you” (Lk 6:31). The apostle Paul repeats these commandments in his letters: “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse” (Rom 12:14); “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink” (Rom 12:20). When a man who was being ill-treated asked St John of Gaza how to act, he had only one answer: “Do good to him.” St Isaac advises to “show the greatness of your compassion by rendering good to those who were unjust to you,” for “it is a great thing to do good to sinners, more than to the just.”
Response: The Lord is compassionate and gracious
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