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Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time - The “Gift” of Being Persecuted

Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time - The “Gift” of Being Persecuted

Catholic Daily Reflections vor 1 Jahr

https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2025/06/16/the-gift-of-being-persecuted-4/ Jesus said to his disciples: “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...

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Short reflections on the Gospel of the day, from My Catholic Life!

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Jesus said to his disciples: “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,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his
sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the
just and the unjust.” Matthew 5:43–45

Jesus continues to deepen and clarify His call to His new command
to love of others. The love to which He calls us is radical, total,
and can be very challenging at first. He calls us to move far
beyond the Old Testament understanding of justice by commanding
that we love everyone, including those who persecute us. This call
to love is not an option but a command. It’s a requirement for
every Christian.

In implementing this command, Jesus gives us not only the command
itself but also offers some very practical advice on how we can
achieve this depth of love. He says that we should not only love
our enemies but that we should pray for them when they persecute
us. First of all, an “enemy” is one who tries to inflict some form
of harm on us and, generally speaking, sins against us. The common
response to these experiences is to defend ourselves and fight
back. So the first step is to reject any such temptation. As Jesus
said in the Gospel passage prior to this one, “offer no resistance
to one who is evil.”

Today’s Gospel passage takes us even further. The practical advice
our Lord gives is to “pray for those who persecute you.” This
command not only requires that you reject the temptation to “get
back” at a person or even to simply “resist” what they do to us.
You must now pray for them. Praying for someone who sins against
you is an act of the greatest charity and generosity. And it’s a
very practical way to imitate the abundant mercy of God. For that
reason, praying for your persecutors radically transforms you
interiorly and makes you holy. In a sense, the evil another does to
you has the potential to be transformed into a gift given to you,
because it gives you an opportunity to return prayer for an injury
inflicted. And that is a very real and practical gift we must
embrace by this new command of our Lord.

Reflect, today, upon those for whom this new commandment calls you
to pray. Whose sin has inflicted some hurt or injury upon you or
your family? Who do you hold a grudge toward? Whoever comes to
mind, commit yourself to deep and sustained prayer for that person.
Pray often for them and continue that prayer for as long as the
persecution continues. Doing so will transform any and every
attempted malice issued toward you into grace for them and holiness
for you.

My Lord of abundant mercy, Your command to pray for those who
persecute me was first lived by You to perfection. You prayed for
those who crucified You as You hung upon the Cross. Give me the
grace I need to not only forgive but to also pray for those who
have and continue to try to inflict harm upon me. Give me a heart
so filled with mercy that every sin committed against me is
transformed into love and my own holiness of life. Jesus, I trust
in You.

Image: The Sermon on the Mount, via Web Gallery of Art

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