What does it mean to love your enemies? Eric Panicco, SJ, reflects on how people of faith are called to choose mercy over resentment. Based on the readings for the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Do you love your enemies?
Hi, I’m Eric Panicco, and this is my one-minute reflection.
In the first reading, Saul is hunting David, trying to kill him. Talk about enemies! David, while being hunted, has the opportunity to kill Saul, but he refuses. Instead, he finds a way to reconcile with Saul.
David chooses mercy towards Saul rather than resentment.
What about our enemies? What about the resentment that lives inside of us? Do we linger on our resentment, imagining some outcome that will fix our pain even though it never does? Why not try to let God’s mercy take that resentment from us? Let Jesus heal the place where that resentment has been festering.
As Paul says in today’s second reading, the first man was from the earth; the second man, from heaven. Let’s pray to receive God’s grace so that we might let go of earthly resentment and accept heavenly mercy.