Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time – 23rd February 2025
Liking something is easy enough; it doesn’t ask too much of us. People like their own favourite biscuits or sweets. They prefer or like their favourite television programme. Loving something or someone is another matter altogether!
In the gospel this Sunday, Jesus asks us to love; not just or even our friends, but to love our enemies. Jesus knows from personal experience that those who are listening to him have more than enough enemies! This is not a reality that is particular to the time of Jesus!
Those whom we don’t like and who do not like us are not limited to the gospels! Jesus is calling his listeners and us today to a very high standard of living indeed.
Those who follow Jesus, then and now are to love their enemies when the ‘normal’ world reaction is to seek revenge and hit back, whether verbally or physically.
Jesus calls us to a much higher standard. Jesus knows that this is very challenging; it’s easy enough to love those who love us and who are nice to us. It’s another thing altogether to love those who are our enemies, to bless them and even pray for them!