Beloved in Christ,
"I love you, Jesus. Please, help me to love my enemies as you love me." I found myself repeating this ejaculatory prayer in its different iterations as I knelt in meditative prayers before the Blessed Sacrament before a daily morning mass. My morning prayer that day was most likely the product of my reading and studying of Luke 6: 27-37 with Elizabeth College Catholic students the night before at our weekly Bible study. Our study of this biblical passage left a burden of ownership and personal application on my heart. How does it look like in real life to love one's enemy? Like the young man asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" I asked the students and myself, "Who is my enemy"? If I can identify my enemies, known and unknown, how can I possibly love them? The practicality of Jesus' command made severe and unending incursions on my mind. This demand is at the heart of what it means to be a faithful follower of Christ, yet I know I am probably not living it to the extent Jesus expects of me. When did you last pray sincerely and perseveringly for your enemies or those who hate you? To start with, do you even pray for them?
When Jesus says, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you" (Lk 6:27), He calls us away from a "natural" way to a supernatural life. Just like Jesus did in the Gospel of last Sunday, turning the order of things as we know it upside down by declaring those who are at a disadvantage in society the blessed, so also in this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus is turning us away from what is generally the norm in daily human existence to a life of grace. In demanding that his followers love their enemies, that is, those who do not will their good or actively indulge in their failure, and pray for those who mistreat them, Jesus deletes the expectation of the Old Covenant and replaces it with the expectation of the New Covenant.
We are no longer under the dispensation of tit for tat or an eye for an eye, a quick resort to our human base instinct of returning evil for evil. As members of the body of Christ, we are under the grace of the Holy Spirit and should be reflecting the image and likeness of our Lord and friend, Jesus. Jesus asks us to be the face of mercy and love in the world. As Christians, we have received Christ-like nature and likeness and now share in his divine life because Jesus has sealed us with the Holy Spirit. We can do all things, including the love of enemies, through Christ who strengthens us (see Phil 4:13). All things are indeed possible for those who trust in God (see Mat 19:26).
We heard the message of trust in God last week; part of its implication is to rely on the grace of God to live a life of unhindered love and mercy towards all, as Jesus himself demonstrated in his own life. We must review and reorder our attitudes toward those who disagree with us or even act with evil intent toward us. As Jesus demands, we must love them as Jesus himself loved us unconditionally while we were still sinners by dying for us. Suppose we find it practically difficult or even impossible to reconcile with our enemies and win their friendship; in that case, we can offer them at least one duty of love- honest and sincere prayers for their conversion and embrace of Christ's way.
As we draw close to Lent, let us open ourselves to the grace of the Holy Spirit, who alone can make us capable of love for our enemies. Let us expel or expunge from our hearts sentiments and spirit of hate for those who despise us or hold opinions different from ours. The call to authentic, sacrificial, and radical love is not about what seems right to us but what Jesus calls us to do. If we are candid about the race for heaven, we must actively practice love for all, especially our enemies.
In Christ,
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
"I love you, Jesus. Please, help me to love my enemies as you love me." I found myself repeating this ejaculatory prayer in its different iterations as I knelt in meditative prayers before the Blessed Sacrament before a daily morning mass. My morning prayer that day was most likely the product of my reading and studying of Luke 6: 27-37 with Elizabeth College Catholic students the night before at our weekly Bible study. Our study of this biblical passage left a burden of ownership and personal application on my heart. How does it look like in real life to love one's enemy? Like the young man asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" I asked the students and myself, "Who is my enemy"? If I can identify my enemies, known and unknown, how can I possibly love them? The practicality of Jesus' command made severe and unending incursions on my mind. This demand is at the heart of what it means to be a faithful follower of Christ, yet I know I am probably not living it to the extent Jesus expects of me. When did you last pray sincerely and perseveringly for your enemies or those who hate you? To start with, do you even pray for them?
When Jesus says, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you" (Lk 6:27), He calls us away from a "natural" way to a supernatural life. Just like Jesus did in the Gospel of last Sunday, turning the order of things as we know it upside down by declaring those who are at a disadvantage in society the blessed, so also in this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus is turning us away from what is generally the norm in daily human existence to a life of grace. In demanding that his followers love their enemies, that is, those who do not will their good or actively indulge in their failure, and pray for those who mistreat them, Jesus deletes the expectation of the Old Covenant and replaces it with the expectation of the New Covenant.
We are no longer under the dispensation of tit for tat or an eye for an eye, a quick resort to our human base instinct of returning evil for evil. As members of the body of Christ, we are under the grace of the Holy Spirit and should be reflecting the image and likeness of our Lord and friend, Jesus. Jesus asks us to be the face of mercy and love in the world. As Christians, we have received Christ-like nature and likeness and now share in his divine life because Jesus has sealed us with the Holy Spirit. We can do all things, including the love of enemies, through Christ who strengthens us (see Phil 4:13). All things are indeed possible for those who trust in God (see Mat 19:26).
We heard the message of trust in God last week; part of its implication is to rely on the grace of God to live a life of unhindered love and mercy towards all, as Jesus himself demonstrated in his own life. We must review and reorder our attitudes toward those who disagree with us or even act with evil intent toward us. As Jesus demands, we must love them as Jesus himself loved us unconditionally while we were still sinners by dying for us. Suppose we find it practically difficult or even impossible to reconcile with our enemies and win their friendship; in that case, we can offer them at least one duty of love- honest and sincere prayers for their conversion and embrace of Christ's way.
As we draw close to Lent, let us open ourselves to the grace of the Holy Spirit, who alone can make us capable of love for our enemies. Let us expel or expunge from our hearts sentiments and spirit of hate for those who despise us or hold opinions different from ours. The call to authentic, sacrificial, and radical love is not about what seems right to us but what Jesus calls us to do. If we are candid about the race for heaven, we must actively practice love for all, especially our enemies.
In Christ,
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
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