“The Bad and the Good” by Melanie Rigney (@melanierigney)

“The Bad and the Good” by Melanie Rigney

Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

“Because you have given yourself up to doing evil in the LORD’s sight, I am bringing evil upon you: I will destroy you and will cut off every male in Ahab’s line, whether slave or freeman, in Israel.” (1 Kings 21:20-21)

Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. (Psalm 51:3)

“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.” (Matthew 5:44-45)

By Jim Forest; https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimforest/28978936962;
used under terms at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/#.

Piety

Lord, open my eyes to the potential for salvation in those who persecute me.

Study

As Christians, we are asked to believe many difficult things: the presence of three Persons in one. The Incarnation. The Resurrection.

But believing is one thing; it’s possible for us to accept teachings and tradition, and not give the how and why and wherefore too much thought. Acting is so much harder, and perhaps the most difficult things Jesus asks us to do is love and pray for our persecutors. That neighbor whose parties go into the late hours or who appears to be engaging in illegal activities? That coworker who seems to delight in testing our maturity and patience? That politician whose values and conduct are anathema to us?

Love and pray. Pray and love.

That doesn’t mean we become doormats. We find the right channels for reporting the neighbor after we’ve tried talking with him or her personally. We examine ourselves to determine how much of the problem with the coworker is that person—and how much is us—and we work on new strategies to keep or establish a better perspective about the significance of the treachery. We advocate and vote for people whose words and action reflect the type of world in which we want to live.

But we never stop loving and praying for our enemies and persecutors. Not ever. Because God loves them too—and His love can bring miracles in the worst of those who ever walked the earth. After all, look at what He’s done with us.

Action

Offer your prayer time today for the private intentions of one of your enemies.