Oblates of St. Francis de Sales

New DeSales World Newsletter - Summer Edition

7th Sunday In Ordinary Time (February 22, 2004)

Suggested Emphasis

"Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you."

Salesian Perspective

Recently, I was involved in an argument with somebody. And this one was a doozy!!

It began innocently enough as a difference of opinion, and as our emotions and pride got the best of us, the conflict rapidly escalated from a minor disagreement into a full-scale, five-alarm, red-alert, no-holds-barred yelling match. The intensity of the argument, as well as what we said to one another, was a surprise to both of us. Realizing we were getting nowhere, we both withdrew to nurse our wounds, stunned at the great anxiety and distress this flare-up had caused in each of us. Fortunately, when some time had passed, when our emotions had cooled, when we each had some time to prayerfully reflect on what had just happened, and where this could lead - we had the guts to approach one another in a far more civil and reasonable manner.

We asked forgiveness of one another for overreacting and for failing to really listen to one another. We sat down to actually articulate our thoughts and feelings, and more importantly, we listened to and actually came to understand the other's perspective. Though initially difficult to do, we both put forth the effort to make amends.

And we moved on.

In the Gospel of Luke we hear Jesus' challenge to "love your enemies; do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you." This example and these words are certainly not the natural human reaction we often see in ourselves or others: even for followers of Jesus, these words can be difficult, if not impossible, to embody. Francis de Sales writes, "How good it is to love here on earth as we one day will in heaven." Compounding our struggle is the fact that the image of the "enemy" is often found not in total strangers, but in those we know…and sometimes, even in the faces of those whom we love.

As we each reflect on the unhealed conflicts which may exist in our lives, and the challenge to heal, to love, to forgive, and to reconcile, we are reminded that we do not pursue a merely earthly end in our relationships with others; rather, we live our lives together as people destined for the fullness of eternal life with God. As St. Paul writes to the Corinthians, "Just as we bear the image of the man of dust, we also bear the image of the man of heaven." Francis de Sales recommends: "Keep your heart on the glorious streets of the heavenly Jerusalem, where you hear the praises of God resounding all about. Look at the variety of saints, and find out how they got there. You will learn that the apostles came principally through love; the martyrs, through constancy; the doctors through meditation; the confessors, by mortification; the virgins, by purity of heart; and all of them, through humility."

Patrick T. O'Connor, OSFS, is a pastor of St. Brendan the Navigator Catholic Church in Shallotte, NC