Dear Brothers and Sisters,
This Sunday’s Gospel reading contains some of the most radical and forceful words of Jesus’ preaching: “Love your enemies.” Jesus delivered these words in Galilee at the beginning of His public ministry as a declaration presented to all of his disciples which also includes each of us. He asks his disciples to embrace this model of life He is proposing to them in shocking terms. But what do His words mean? Why does Jesus ask us to love our enemies, which seems to be a love which exceeds human reason or expectation? Is Jesus asking too much of me? Is our response, “I just can’t do this” or “this is unrealistic?”
Actually, Christ’s proposal is realistic because it takes into account that in this world there is too much violence, too much injustice, and therefore these situations cannot be overcome except by countering them with more love, with more goodness. This “more” comes from our Lord. It is His mercy alone that can move the world from evil to good, starting with that small and decisive “battleground” which is the human heart.
This Gospel passage is rightly considered the guiding principle of Christian non-violence. It does not call us to give in to evil, as some would think, but it calls us to respond to evil with good and thereby breaking the chain of injustice.
So, for Christians, non-violence is not merely a strategic behavior but a person’s way of life, because we are so convinced of God’s love and power that we are not afraid to tackle evil with the weapons of love and truth alone.
Dear brothers and sisters, Lent, which is coming upon us this week, is a perfect season in which all Christians are asked to convert ever more deeply to Christ’s love. Are we ready to love more deeply?
God Bless,
Deacon Howard
