Every day of Lent, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click HERE for the readings.
Loving our enemies seems to be so counterintuitive. Yet, Jesus gives us this command -- to love our enemies -- as a requirement of his program for the Kingdom. How often do we pray for those who persecute us, object to us, ridicule us? This is not easy or natural to us.
Jesus shows us the way to love those who oppose us in his words from the cross. He looked at his tormentors and said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing?”
Today, pray for an enemy. Take the thought of this person with you as you prepare to celebrate the Sunday liturgy tonight or tomorrow. And when you pray at the Lord’s Prayer, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,” feel the burden of your own sins lifted from your soul. Finally, give thanks that Jesus is teaching us to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect – for in his perfection, God has loved us even when we strayed from him.