Gospel: Matthew
5:43-48
Jesus
said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, You shall love your
neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for
those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for
he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the
just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will
you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers
and sisters only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So
be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
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Reflection:
Are you
still capable of loving someone who doesn’t love you anymore?
In the
gospel Jesus calls us to a higher form of love: “Love your enemies, and pray for
those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44).
It’s not
easy to give love to someone who betrayed your trust. But that’s what Jesus is
telling us: to love unconditionally. Regardless of the hurts and betrayal done
to us we still need to love and pray for those who’ve hurt us.
There’s
no winner when we respond betrayal with betrayal, anger with anger. In spite of
the injury done to us, why not try to still be meek and forgiving and leave
everything in the hands of God? God doesn’t love us selectively; He doesn’t love
us because we follow His commands. He still loves us even if we’ve betrayed Him
so many times.
God loves
us without any preconditions; He lets the sun rise and the rain to fall on all
of us sinners. Therefore we have to love even those who don’t love us anymore. –
Marino J. Dasmarinas
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