Jesus Said -Love Your Enemies

BEADS OF JOY 06-18-13
“Matthew 5:43-48”
©2013 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

Gospel: (Matthew 5:43-48 / Love Your Enemies)

“You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”


Reflection: My Friends,
We are different in so many ways, compared to the way the world is and I would say that probably the biggest reason why we are hated so much; is how we treat those who hate and despise us. We refuse to act like the “others” and simply fit in and be robots to whatever the world values and likes and cares about. And to top that off we treat others not like the world would, but instead –we treat them like they don’t deserve to be treated. “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” that is NOT an easy command straight from the mouth of Jesus. In fact Jesus did just that, and they beat Him, whipped Him, pressed a crown of thorns on His head and then they Crucified and killed Him; and yet even with all that He forgave them. My friend, are you serious about following after Jesus. Take a look at this scripture:

John 15:19-21 “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.” Powerful indeed. But it is a hard teaching; will you now continue to follow after Jesus. See what the world has perceived as weakness in our kindness and mercy; is actually strength beyond any worldly humans understanding. To be a Christian, a follower of the one true God, you must be strong. Stronger than this world can ever comprehend.

Pondering these thoughts today: Through Jesus, God the Father has given us all that we need in Jesus Christ; this is brilliant in its design, whereas we don’t need anything except for Jesus and in having Jesus in our hearts, on our minds and in our lives, all things are perfect. Jesus fulfills our desires, our understanding or not understanding; Jesus essentially fills that void within us, the void that makes us sometimes feel incomplete. This is the same void that many fill with “self” stuff, or addictions, or anything that we feels fills that emptiness inside; when in reality that emptiness (darkness) is so easily filled with Jesus (light). Our “enemies” are not within us and they are not of who we are in Jesus; rather the people that persecute us, are of this world and in this world. So to me, to forgive them and to pray for them becomes so much easier.

Your brother in Christ Jesus
And His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS

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