Loving Our Enemies

In this week’s Gospel, we hear that we should love our enemies and pray for those that persecute us.  This is one of the hardest Gospel passages to hear, especially in our day and age. 

Whether it is sports rivalries, politics, or religion, the world is constantly encouraging an “us vs. them” mentality.  It is a natural thing to take sides or pick teams when confronted with adversity and diversity. 

However, Christ is asking us to do the opposite.  We need to remember that every soul on Earth was made for Heaven and God desires ALL of us for Himself. 

There are no teams or sides with Christ. 

C.S. Lewis wrote, “Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.”  This includes those we perceive as enemies.  The world has everything to gain from keeping us on teams, sowing division, and making us look at each other as enemies. 

In counseling, I frequently hear people talk about how angry they become when scrolling social media or watching the news.  Often clients find their mental health improving when they take a step back from these things. 

This week, consider reflecting on the teams and divisions that you perceive on a daily basis and how you can look past them so that you can truly do what Christ is asking of you in the Gospel today.