Love your enemies

Thursday of week 23 in Ordinary time

Luke 6:27-38 

Taking the message of the gospel head-on, I'm sure that we will find it hard to love and forgive our enemies in an instant.  Why on earth will Jesus command us love those who've done us wrong?

Perhaps the first reading will give us a clue.  It may be easy to judge wrongly eating food that are offered to the gods simply because as St. Paul explained, there are no such gods.  Only God exists.  And Jesus, the Son of God, incarnates the God's love for all of us by suffering and dying on the cross.  Thus, for God, all of humankind comprises his children who need to be saved rather than be condemned.

Why must we love and forgive our enemies?  Because like us, our enemies too are children of God.  Like our enemies, we too deserve God's just punishment.  But all of us, whether enemies and friends, are subject to God's forgiveness and salvation.  In every person, enemy or friend, is the very face of God who loves him/ her.

Aim then to love our enemies.  Remember, whatever we do, even to the least of our brothers and sisters, we do it to God.  Every measure that we will use for others will be the same measure God will use for us. 

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