12 March 2022
Saturday of the First Week of Lent
Pope Francis has called the exhortation in today’s Gospel “the last step” on the way to Christian holiness. Loving your enemies is the most Christlike act there is. It’s difficult. We want to be around people who make us feel comfortable, who make being other-centered easy. That dynamic plays itself out in the minutiae of daily life. Jesus points this out. The affectionate greetings we give in public are reserved for those people who make our life easiest. Being a good priest to your parishioners, being a good husband or wife to your spouse, being a responsible parent to your children or a dutiful son or daughter to your parents—none of these are enough for Christ. Loving those who love you is it’s own reward. You don’t need God for that.
Love your enemies. Dorothy Day expressed this sentiment well: “I only love God as much as I love the person I love the least.” Perhaps our prayer today can center around the people we find most infuriating and who bring out the worst in us. When the Lord’s grace widens our heart enough to embrace the people who make love most difficult, then the fragrance of the Gospel will surround our life.