Jesus sets out a tough challenge – to love our enemies as God loves us. I have tap danced around this passage as it seems ridiculously impossible. We may not have a Saul seeking our life, or have to go bless a vigilante Saul as poor Ananias did. Perhaps in our modern day we do not have people walking up to slap our cheek or steal our things so that we can turn the other cheek or offer the thief more of our belongings, but we do walk through life with many betrayals and scars. Think of the one who stole your good name by spreading gossip/rumours, or your colleague that stabbed you in the back to steal your promotion or the one who manipulates you for funds/favours, or how about your neighbour who copies your life and portrays it to the world as their own, and all you want to do is scream “I was the cool kid first”. Jesus calls us to respond with a spirit of generosity and compassion without boundaries. Let us sincerely and compassionately pray for our enemies.

PRAYER: Abba Father, give me the grace to answer your call to love the unlovable. Amen.