As Loving Children
Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary
Time
By
Beth DeCristofaro
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 … (Matthew 5:43-45)
Piety
Bless, O Lord, those who cut me off in traffic. Bless my associate who is so strident. Bless leaders who make hurtful decisions
because of their unbending adherence to an agenda rather than to the people
they serve. Bless the former
acquaintance who no longer speaks to me.
Bless those who don’t take me seriously because of what I believe. Bless, dear God, those who make war. Bless me, Father, when I do any of these
things to another and guide me that I might love rather than persecute.
Study
When she was a child, Sr. Jose Hobday
reacted to an act of discrimination against her mother. In doing so, she learned a valuable lesson. At a restaurant they refused to serve her
mother because she was Native American.
Jose had lighter hair and complexion, being only half Native American,
and thus the waitress brought her a cold glass of milk. Jose settled the score by pouring out the cup
of milk all over the table and floor.
However, Jose’s mother did not thank her. Instead she told the young girl that Jose had
chosen to act just like the discriminators and that vengeance always brings
sour results.[i]
God’s love is free. We do not earn it by being good or doing the “right
thing.” Jesus loved the hard-to-love. In fact as Cursillo reminds me, Jesus loves
me even in my least loveable moments. As
difficult as it is to love sometimes, by not doing so we sour our own
soul.
Action
Compose your own prayer to bless
persecutors in your life. Then say a
prayer for yourself for the ways you persecute.
Ask for God to help you love more fully.
[i]
“Spilled Milk” from Stories of Awe and Abundance, Sr. Jose Hobday, OSF,
Continuum, New York, 2001, p. 33.
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