7th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C.
Readings: 1Sam. 26:2,7-9,12-13,22-23, 1Cor. 15:45-49, and Lk. 6:27-38.
“Love Your Enemies and do Good to Those Who Hate You.”
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
1. Human beings are encouraged to love one another. Love is so natural that we meet it in all circles and in most relationships. There are conditions under which we are compelled to love one another given the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Love of family members – though granted that we may have friends who count to us more than our family members, there is love that exists between family members simply because they are family members. Putting into consideration the situation s/he might have put you through or cause you to experience, you may at last simply say or consider saying: ‘After all s/he is my brother or sister or mother or father or uncle, aunty or cousin.
2. There is the love of friends simply because they are friends. We all have friends, and we would want the best for our friends. This is normal. It holds good for pagans, strangers, Muslims or practitioners of other religions. There is nothing spectacular about it.
3. There is the love of spouse – one does not marry one whom s/he does not love. It is normal that we love our spouse, or that married people love themselves, the opposite should surprise us.
4. All these we do expressed in each given situation is natural. All of it is good and is as expected but more is demanded from us Christians, the followers of Christ. We should do these and more. The gospel text we listened to prescribed Christian love to us. This is love of enemies – pray for those who hate you; bless those who curse you; pray for those who treat you badly. This is Christian Love. Beyond the individual level of nonretaliation, Jesus invites his followers into a fundamental stance in life that must be chosen so that we reflect the image of the One who made us. By continually opening ourselves to the immeasurable goodness, compassion and love of the Most High, our punny capacities are stretched and expanded. The more we become conscious of how much we graciously receive, the more our measure for giving to others increases.
5. We have been told or taught that ‘we forgive, and we forget’ as the right thing to do in treating our offenders rightly. This needs some understanding. Memory is a faculty that remembers things/events. What then is the meaning of forgiving and forgetting. It means, when someone proves an enemy to you, in words/deed; when you could give back or carry out a similar act/render similar words, you do not do it. Being able to hold yourself to refrain from carrying out an act or saying a word to one who had done it or said it to you is tantamount to forgiving and forgetting. This is Christian Love; this is Christian Spirit. When evil is returned for evil, all it does is increase the measure of evil in the world. Meting out goodness, compassion, pardon – especially when that is contrary to what is directed toward us – subdues and transforms evil. It ruptures the power of evil and redirects energies toward filling the world with gracious mercy.
6. That is exactly the example presented to us in the first reading. Saul made David an enemy and searched for all the means to kill David:
- He had thrown a spear at David, who dodged.
- He had sent him out to bring 100 foreskins of the Philistines as Bride Prize.
- He had gathered a whole army after David etc.
Saul abundantly made himself an enemy to David. David came upon him and his army exhausted out of searching for him to kill, yet he never killed him or any of his army. He had told himself, ‘Touch not the anointed one of God’. Today, David acts with righteousness. David could have killed or captured King Saul, but instead he recognized that Saul is vulnerable, eyes closed, without defense. David would not harm the Lord’s anointed. Today, we are all the Lord’s anointed: we have all been chosen by God in our Baptism and anointed as priests, kings and prophets. But Jesus does not destroy us when we have fallen asleep in sin. He offers us the opportunity to awaken and to change. Jesus asks us to show mercy to others, just as he has shown to us. Leave vengeance to God. He knows the extent of your offence; He would revenge accordingly. The Lord would reward each man for his/her justice and faithfulness.
7. Do you have enemies? What should be your approach towards them as Christians? Pray for them. This is the challenge for every one of us; that we love as Christ would love as recommended by Matthew: “Be compassionate as your father is compassionate.”
To God be the glory and honor forever and ever. Amen.
Fr. Anthony D. Lawir,
Pastor, St. Agnes and Our Lady of the Snows Parishes, Pittsfield and Dexter.