Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2025

At the conclusion of a 2003 murder trial, families gave “victim impact statements” where two individuals understandably cursed the defendant who was found guilty of taking the lives of multiple people.

The victims’ family members said things like, “I wish for him to have a long, suffering, cruel death.” Another said, “He is going to hell, and that’s where he belongs.”


Then, a father who lost his daughter gave his statement, and it went like this: “Mr. Ridgeway, there are people here who hate you. I am not one of them. You have made it difficult to live up to what I believe, and that is what God says to do. And that’s to forgive. You are forgiven, sir.”


…In today’s Gospel, Jesus said, “[L]ove your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” That actually goes beyond the teaching, “Love your neighbor as yourself” because, for example, if I were guilty of those crimes, I wouldn’t blame those people for cursing me. I would understand very well why they hated me and that I deserved all the evil being wished upon me. 


But to do what we heard Jesus tells us to do does not mean asking what we would do to ourselves in a given situation but what God would do, which Jesus himself shows at the crucifixion when He asks the Father to forgive us for putting him up there.


…When someone wrongs us, even severely, we know, getting even or doing something worse will never help. 


You ever see those road rage videos? The person who is wronged so often destroys their own car while trying to get even with the other. And that’s what happens to us spiritually when we let anger consume us.


As understandably upset as those families were at the defendant, hating him might harm him spiritually and emotionally but it will certainly harm themselves: It will eat them alive and make them into perpetually hurt and angry people…and Jesus wants to spare us of that.


…Do we pray for those who mistreat us? Imagine the effect your loving prayers could have on someone who has hurt you. Doing good to them and/or asking God to help them would actually benefit us far more than retaliating or wishing evil upon them.


Jesus said, “[L]ove your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” If we do that, the world, and our own personal worlds, would be a much better place. And God knows we are capable of doing this with His help.



Scripture passages for this day: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022325.cfm

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