Love Your Enemies

September 09, 2021, Thursday
Thursday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest (White)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 440

Reading I
Col 3:12-17

Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one Body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Responsorial Psalm
150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6

R.    (6) Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!

Praise the LORD in his sanctuary,
    praise him in the firmament of his strength.
Praise him for his mighty deeds,
    praise him for his sovereign majesty. 

R.    Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!

Praise him with the blast of the trumpet,
    praise him with lyre and harp,
Praise him with timbrel and dance,
    praise him with strings and pipe.

R.    Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!

Praise him with sounding cymbals,
    praise him with clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath
    praise the LORD! Alleluia.

R.    Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!

Alleluia
1 Jn 4:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

If we love one another,
God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Lk 6:27-38

Jesus said to his disciples:
“To you who hear I say, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,
and get back the same amount. 
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.
“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”

REFLECTION:

Jesus uses extreme language to highlight the importance of our relationships to one another. We are to deal with others, mindful of how we ourselves have received the good gift of forgiveness from God. This reminds us of the words in the ‘Our Father’, ‘forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us’. When one has difficulties with others, it is good to pray for oneself, to know one’s own faults, if any; and to pray for the others, that they may receive the grace from God for their better self to emerge. Do to others as God has done to you.

Jesus, the love you speak of is not just emotion: it is a commitment of the will. It is extravagant and limitless, and it includes us all, good and bad alike. This is the true love that frees up the world’s gridlock of hatred, judgement, blame, recrimination and violence. It is an active loving based on going the extra mile. ‘The measure of love is to love without measure.’

PRAYER:

Lord, I am the focus of your indiscriminate love. Grant me a profound appreciation of this limitless gift. Transformed by this love, may I in turn show unrestricted loving to others-especially to my enemies!