7th Sunday Ordinary Time
Fr. Mark Gatto
Preached: February 23, 2025
What is needed to be a Catholic today? Which virtue or quality do you think is most needed to be a Catholic in the world today?
Courage!
Listen to the words of Jesus: “Love your enemies.” “do good to those who hate you” “bless those who curse you” “if anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also” This is a vision, a way of living, that is counter our usual way of seeing things. It is really hard and it requires the virtue of Courage.
This chapter of Luke’s Gospel may be the most difficult to embrace and live. It is also the gospel message of Jesus that we Christians have often chosen to ignore throughout history.
Years ago I remember someone describing how he was discussing with his mother his attempt to embrace non-violence. At a certain point he said plainly, “Essentially it’s an attempt to learn what it actually means to love my enemies.” His mother looked at him and said, “Really? That’s very hard.” It was an honest response and he realized it may have been the first time that this 80 year old woman had been in a direct conversation about the personal implications of love of enemy. Do not most of us Christians either ignore this teaching or try to explain it away?
Loving your enemies, blessing those who curse you, giving without expecting anything in return, all of this takes courage. It is not weakness, but true strength. It is not being passive, but a courageous way of living that allows us to confront evil without becoming evil.
Encountering the mystery of Christ requires us to encounter the love of enemy. But, often we are afraid of this mystery of Christ. Love of enemy is explained away, not lived. If we come to church and take part in rituals here, if we sit in the Adoration Chapel before the Blessed Sacrament, if we spend hours in prayer, but we do not explore love of enemy, then it is empty ritual. The mystery of Christ is something radical and passionate. Are we ready to face the love of enemy?
We live in a world that is battered by human beings damaging each other and the earth. Only a Christianity that embraces the mysticism of love of enemy will be able to offer something towards the healing of humanity and our world.
We sometimes say that Faith is a gift. Almost as though it is just something that some people have and others do not. But, if it is a gift, then it can be asked for. Ask for faith. Pray for it. Ask for a deep faith that enters the mystery of love of enemy. Only such a faith moves people to oppose injustice and to work against evil. Historically, we Christians have prayed, but then defended and supported wars, slavery, and all sorts of injustice. Sometimes in the name of “god.”
Jesus says, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.” “do good and lend, expecting nothing in return.” It is not transactional. Christian spirituality goes much deeper, it is not transactional where I only do good to get something in return. Where I am a friend only if I will get something in return. This is something shallow and does not enter the full mystery of Christ.
We must embrace non-violence. In our language, in how we treat others, in how we live. A non-violence that embraces the mystery of love of enemy is the only way to bring peace and healing to our world. But, this takes great courage. We live in a world where everyone is being encouraged to spend even more money on our militaries and weapons. We are frightened, and in fear we are told to spend on more and bigger weapons.
The love of enemy is at the heart of Christian teaching. It is perhaps the most unique teaching of Christ. Non-violence is not weakness, it is not passivity in the face of evil. Non-violence is a radical way to oppose violence and evil without becoming evil ourselves.
This is why courage is essential to embracing the mystery of Christ in love of enemy. As Merton once said, “fear is the root of all violence.” When we give in to fear, we respond with violence and attacking the other. We need the courage to resist this tendency towards violence. The courage not to be controlled by fear. We need to ask ourselves: What are my fears? Who do I fear? How is that fear leading me to violence in my language, my relationships, my way of life? Is the way I speak of certain people violent? How is fear leading me away from love?
Do you want to be a Catholic? Then you must encounter the mystery of Christ in the love of enemy. Are you ready to honestly face the love of enemy? This will take great courage. But, it is the only path to the fullness of the Christian mystery and it is the only hope for us to bring healing and peace and harmony into our world.
