Saturday of the First Week of Lent
Today’s Gospel reading presents us with a challenging message: “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:45). We are encouraged to examine our relationships or non-relationships with others and to question our interactions with them.
In a world that seems to be becoming more polarized, it is not hard to find people who disagree. I remember my friend sharing with me a social media post of a mutual acquaintance. They had opposite political views, and this post reflected his perspective. Not only did she disagree with what he wrote, but she also found it hateful even though he did not. Rather than immediately comment on his post, she decided to discern her response by asking what is the most loving thing to do. Since this moment happened a few years ago, I don’t quite remember how her message to him was worded, but I recall that she calmly expressed disagreement, disappointment in posting something opposite of his loving character, and openness to dialogue. In some cases though, we cannot interact with our enemies. To illustrate, the other day, one of the Marianist Sisters in my community shared a conversation she had with a colleague who did not like a particular politician and what this person was doing. Instead of letting anger brew, that colleague decided to pray for the politician. Today’s Gospel encourages us to love and pray for those who disagree with us and say hurtful things to us and those who we do not think are doing the right thing. We are challenged to discern how to love them in what we do next.
Even though Jesus calls us to love our enemies, he is aware of what enemies can do. As Scripture scholar Clarence Jordan states, “Don’t tell me Jesus didn’t know about enemies that were bad and unlovable. He knew them quite well. He knew what they’d do to you. He knew they’d come out and hang you on a cross if you loved ‘em. But he still says you’re going to have to love them.”* Being made in the image and likeness of God, we are called to take on God’s ways of love, mercy, and kindness. Following Jesus Christ requires that we believe in the goodness of our enemies even if they attempt to harm others and ourselves. Loving our enemies might seem unrealistic, but not only does God love our enemies, they are also children of God. Therefore, let us pray for the grace and strength to love our enemies.
—Sr. Emily Sandoval, FMI
*Quoted in Give Us This Day (March 2025) in an excerpt from Jesus, Guide of My Life: Reflections for the Lenten Journey (Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, Inc, 2023) by Joyce Rupp.