19 February 2023
Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
One Sunday, shortly after 9/11, my pastor preached on the Gospel we hear today on the importance of praying for our enemies. In the Intercessory Prayers, he offered up a prayer for Osama bin Laden. The whole church fell silent, and the tension was palpable. He waited a long minute before moving on to the following petition in his binder. How could he pray for someone like that who killed people in the Twin Towers that were members of this parish? Jesus instructs us to pray for our enemies. When bin Laden was the epitome of malice, the priest dared pray for such an enemy as Jesus commands.
The Lord tells the people of Israel through Moses in today’s First Reading, “Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy” (Leviticus 19:2). Jesus repeats this basic instruction in today’s Gospel for the Church by saying, “be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). What does it mean to be holy or perfect as God is? Jesus shows us that God is merciful. He echoes today’s psalm, “Merciful and gracious is the LORD, slow to anger and abounding in kindness” (Psalm 103:8) To be like God, then, is to be merciful toward others. To practice mercy is to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Yet how difficult this is to do! Since the war in Ukraine, countless faith communities have prayed constantly for Ukraine – as is good – but I wonder how many petitions have risen to God’s throne for Putin? It seems almost wrong to pray for such a villain. But Paul says in today’s Second Reading, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God” (1 Corinthians 3:19). Praying for torturers and war criminals is part of God’s logic, not contrary to it. To be like God is to pray for those horrible people, which Jesus invites us to do today. These enemies need not be as extreme and distant as a warmongering despot. They can be as close and particular as an annoying roommate or a hostile boss. Be holy and perfect like God. Pray for someone today who doesn’t deserve it.
By Nicholas Leeper, S.J.
February 19th, 2023