It’s a work in progress, Lord, I hope!   This Sunday is a tough gospel to hear as well as one on which to preach, at least for me. In it Jesus commands us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us?! In practical terms, we might ask the question, just how am I supposed to love someone I am opposed to, like a Joy Reid or Tucker Carlson, or perhaps an organization like Planned Parenthood or Students for Life, or CNN or Fox News—and God forbid, the New York Yankees?  How can I love “those people” who are so opposed to me, my way of life, my beliefs, and my traditions? 

As the above headline notes, this must be meant as ‘a work in progress,’ right? In the Sound of Music, Julie Andrews tells us that the only way to deal with difficult things is to “…start at the very beginning, a very good place to start…” (Do-Re-Mi), which might help to make a difficult journey a work in progress as we learn to grow and overcome difficult people, places and things? In fact, further on in the same musical, Julie Andrews gives more personal direction in the song entitled “I have confidence,” where singing about her future she asks, “What will this day be like? I wonder. What will my future be? I wonder. It could be so exciting, to be out in the world, to be free. My heart should be wildly rejoicing, oh what is the matter with me?” Maybe the key here is not to focus on the negative or the difficult point but rather to faithfully consider something beyond myself or my disagreement and focus on the Hope—that comes from living the three Theological Virtues, to grow in Faith, Hope and Charity.

Well, let’s step out of that 1965 musical and into the real world…but still hold onto that Hope that is faith, that Hope that shall make our hearts wildly rejoice when we learn to love as Christ Loves us—and that means all of humanity.

Again, in reality, it might be hard to begin today by loving those who wish to destroy us or tear down everything in which we have been raised to believe. But, we might begin this journey of love for all humanity by beginning with anyone we struggle with and consider them our enemies—that might bring it closer to home, so to speak and more manageable—and it can define our enemies as   someone with whom we already have a personal relationship or encounter. 

To love them does not necessarily mean we must become best friends with them—after all, God said “love” your neighbor, He didn’t say “like” them, but it does mean we must work toward having a “true affection of care, concern, understanding and forgiveness toward them.”  This can be hard to have toward everyone but it must be our goal. The second part of this command will help. Praying for those who persecute us will help us grow in the proper love and affection we need to   foster.  This aspect of love is quite straightforward even though it is also quite difficult. Think about those whom you have a very difficult time loving.  Those toward whom you have anger.  It could be a family member, someone at work, your priest, a neighbor or someone from your past with whom you have never reconciled.  Starting at the very beginning, in prayer for them, might also melt our hearts. It’s in keeping with this Gospel passage to honestly admit that there is at least someone—or perhaps more than one person—with whom you struggle, either externally or internally.  Admitting this is simply an act of honesty.

Once you identify this person or persons, think about whether you pray for them.  Do you spend time regularly offering them to God in prayer?  Do you pray that God pours forth His grace and mercy upon them?  This may be hard to do but it is one of the healthiest acts you can do.  It may be difficult to show love and affection toward them, but it is not hard to consciously choose to pray for them—and at the same time for ourselves to grow in charity. 

Praying for those with whom we have a hard time is key to letting God foster a true love and concern in our hearts toward them.  It’s a way of letting God reform our emotions and feelings so that we will no longer have to hold on to feelings of anger or even hate.  Because our prayer life is not just about doing “good” for others, it is about doing “good” for ourselves. Prayer—and praying for others—changes us too.  The following is a simple Catholic prayer we might choose to use for those who are difficult to Love: Lord, I pray for the person (or insert a specific name) for whom You want me to pray.  Help me to love all people and help me to especially love those who are hard to love.

Reorder my feelings toward them and help me to be free of any anger.  Jesus, I trust in You. Amen!

As we are commanded by God to Love our enemy and to pray for those who persecute us, we have to begin somewhere, and we are smart to begin in prayer, asking for God to bless us with grace to open our hearts and minds, to see the enemy as a something more palatable, and to be able to come to see them as a brother or sister in need and then seek their excellence. After all, as the Lord lets the sun and the rain fall on all the earth and all His peoples, we might also consider that we might make the “hard to Love lists” of someone else.