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 capable of loving your enemies?
In the gospel Jesus calls us to a deeper 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 the Lord? 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 our enemies and
one of the ways to do this is not to wish them harm. Notwithstanding the hurt that they’ve inflicted upon us. –
Marino J. Dasmarinas
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