2-24-19 7th Sunday OT: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Jesus said to his disciples: “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

2303   Deliberate hatred is contrary to charity. Hatred of the neighbor is a sin when one deliberately wishes him evil. Hatred of the neighbor is a grave sin when one deliberately desires him grave harm. “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.”

1970   The Law of the Gospel requires us to make the decisive choice between “the two ways” and to put into practice the words of the Lord. It is summed up in the Golden Rule, “Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; this is the law and the prophets.”The entire Law of the Gospel is contained in the “new commandment” of Jesus, to love one another as he has loved us. 

2842 This “as” is not unique in Jesus’ teaching: “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”; “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful“; “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” It is impossible to keep the Lord’s commandment by imitating the divine model from outside; there has to be a vital participation, coming from the depths of the heart, in the holiness and the mercy and the love of our God. Only the Spirit by whom we live can make “ours” the same mind that was in Christ Jesus. Then the unity of forgiveness becomes possible and we find ourselves “forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave” us.

From “The Visible Face of the Invisible God” Testimony of Catalina Rivas (Ch. IV:3)

3)  “When, while preaching on the mount, I said: ‘You have heard that it was said, Thou shall love your neighbor and not befriend your enemy… But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that by doing this, you may be children of your Father who is in Heaven, because He shines His sun on the good and the evil ones, and He sends rain over the just and the sinners…’ [And:] ‘Beware of the good deeds made in everyone’s sight with the purpose of being appreciated by everybody, as in that case, you could expect no reward at all from your Father’.

From “Door To Heaven” Testimony of Catalina Rivas (DH-93.2:4) 

4)  When you are not able to do good to the enemy who persecutes and slanders you, not only do I command you to forgive your enemy, but to pray for him because I gave you the example on the Cross.  

From “From Sinai To Calvary” Testimony of Catalina Rivas (Pt.1:35-36)

35)   Oh! But this is for sure! Absolutely all of us are obligated to forgive the offenses against us in the same measure that we want for God to forgive us.

36)   If we say that “we forgive, but do not forget”, we are asking the Father to do the same with us. If on the contrary, we forgive from the heart those who offend us and, while praying, we ask God to forgive us as we forgive, in that case, we are in a position to implore that God grant us His Mercy since we acted with Mercy.