Reflection for June 17 Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 5:43-48

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:

Would you love your enemy? 

One of the most challenging calls of our Christian faith is this: to love our enemies. To love not only those who are kind to us, but even those who have hurt us—those who continue to cause us pain. 

How can we possibly love an unfaithful spouse? How can we embrace in our hearts someone who seems determined to make life difficult for us? These questions are difficult and deeply personal. And yes, such people are often the hardest to love… even harder to forgive. 

But then we turn our eyes to God—our merciful and loving Father. Despite our many failings, He never withholds His love. He forgives us even when we do not deserve it. If God, in His holiness, can love and forgive us, who are we to withhold love and forgiveness from others? 

Perhaps today, the Lord is inviting us to take a small step forward: to try loving those who have hurt us, to let go of even a little hatred that may be hiding in our hearts. When hatred is removed, love remains. Only love brings healing, peace, and freedom. 

To love and forgive someone who has wounded you deeply does not mean allowing yourself to be mistreated again. Rather, it means opening your heart to God and letting His love reign in you. 

The moment we choose to love instead of hate… to forgive instead of resent… we break free from the grip of the enemy. We step into the light and embrace the freedom that only Christ can give. We let go of the bitterness and pain that bind us, and we allow the healing grace of God to flow. 

Jesus loves us unconditionally—whoever we are and whatever we have done. His love is always available, always waiting. But we must also remember: there is a place far from His light—where those who refuse His love and continue to reject His ways will sadly dwell. 

Let us not be counted among them. Let us choose love. Let us forgive. – Marino J. Dasmarinas