“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” (Matthew 5:44).
Oh dear Father, this is a great challenge when there are truly personal enemies who behave in this way. But You have told us this through Your divine Son! So if we not only want to be called Your children, but truly want to be Your children, then we must face this challenge. But what if we feel aversion, or even a desire for revenge, rising within us? Or what if inner wounds have already formed because of such enmity?
Well, the first step is certainly to want to love our enemies in the first place. You have commanded us to do so, and that command is independent of our feelings. If You, dear Lord, want something from us, then it is also possible. For us, Your word is truth and command.
We come to You, knocking on Your heart, free from any illusion that we could muster this love for our enemies on our own. Since Your heart is open, You are already waiting for us. Once we have arrived at Your heart, we ask for the grace to love our enemies—more fervently, the greater the resistance we feel within ourselves.
We openly confess this possible resistance before You and ask the Holy Spirit to overcome it. We admit any desire for revenge and open our wounds to the healing presence of your Spirit: “O most blessed Light fill the inmost heart (…) and heal what is wounded.” (Pentecost Sequence).
Then, dear Father, we simply do as You say. We pray for and bless our enemies and do good as far as we are able. In this way, our hearts become filled with more and more grace, and we act as Your children. This is how it becomes possible. We respond to Your invitation to perfection. It should work!