Written by Sr. Rosemary Finnegan, O.P.
Readings from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061521.cfm
We just heard Jesus’s command to love our enemies. Fr. James Martin wrote about a priest who told this story during a homily:
“Now,” says the priest, “I’ll bet that many of us feel as if we have enemies in our lives. So, raise your hands if you have many enemies.” And quite a few people raise their hands.
“Now raise your hands if you have only a few enemies.” And about half as many people raise their hands.
“Now raise your hands if you have only one or two enemies.” And even fewer people raised their hands. “See,” says the priest, “most of us feel like we have enemies.”
“Now raise your hands if you have no enemies at all.” Way in the back, a very old man raises his hand and says, “I have no enemies whatsoever!” Delighted, the priest invites the man to the front of the church. “What a blessing!” the priest says. “How old are you?
“I’m 98 years old, and I have no enemies.” Delighted, the priest responds, “What a wonderful Christian life you lead! Tell us all how it is that you have no enemies.’, to which the old man replied: “All the scoundrels have died!”
The sad reality is that most of us do go through life with a few people we feel are our enemies. There’s the person who hurt us and refuses to apologize…so we don’t talk to them. Perhaps at work, someone is jealous of us or angry at us. Many families have people who hold grudges for some mysterious reason.
So when Jesus tells us to love our enemies, how realistic is it? “Love” here doesn’t mean warm fuzzy feelings. The Greek verb used by Matthew about the kind of love Jesus means is ‘agape’. It’s more accurately translated as “to care about”, “to be concerned about”. Agape is love as goodwill, benevolent love that cannot be conquered, a love that wills only the good for the person. Jesus had that kind of love when the Romans were killing him, and he’s showing us the kind of love we need to have for everyone, even those who hurt us.
But maybe we don’t think we have enemies. In that case, think about whether there are other people we should love more than we do, people we take for granted, look down on, or dismiss.
The truth is Jesus gives Himself in agape love for all people, even those we think of as our enemies. Not only that, but Jesus counts on us to help them accept the love God offers. How can they know God’s love if they don’t experience it through us? The least we can do, and what Jesus wants us to do, is pray for them.
At the end of the first reading, St. Paul says: “. . . test the genuineness of your love by your concern for others.” That means: All others, even enemies.
