“The measure you give will be the measure you get back”

I was reflecting on my/our instinctive intolerance of other behaviours or opinions. I for starters go on making judgements. For what purpose? I was reminded of the words the Pope said on the steps of Westminster Cathedral

 “Dear young friends I ask each of you, first and foremost, to look into your own heart… we were made for love. This is what the Bible means when it says that we are made in the image and likeness of God: we were made to know the God of love, the God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and to find our supreme fulfillment in that divine love that knows no beginning or end.

Then I ask myself how much have I lived up to the challenge? Am I really loving my neighbour in the present moment? Below I found another reflection that helped me a lot, because it gives me the measure of God’s love!

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

Yes, It is a strong saying. Yes it does overturn our way of thinking and makes everyone change the direction of their life. Let's admit it: we all do have enemies, be they of little importance, or if they loom large.

He is there behind the door of the house next door, in that interfering and nasty lady whom I try to avoid each time she appears on the same side of the street ... He is in that relative of mine who wronged my father thirty years ago, so I have never had a civil word for him since ... He is the boy in the desk behind you in school, and you have never looked him in the face since he gave you away to the teacher ... He is that girl who was your girlfriend until she left you in the lurch to go off with another fellow... He is that smooth salesman who tricked you ... There are our political enemies, who do not hold the same opinions as ourselves. Today some people look on the State as their enemy and do violence to those who represent it.

And there are, like there have always been, those who see priests as their enemy and hate the Church.

It's all these and many many others whom we call our enemies that are to be loved.

Are to be loved?

Yes, they are to be loved! And don't think we can achieve that by simply changing a hateful feeling into another kinder one. There's more to it. Listen to what Jesus says:

Do you see? Jesus wants us to overcome evil with good. He wants a love that is expressed concretely. We may ask ourselves: why on earth did Jesus give this kind of command?

The fact is that he wants us to model our conduct on that of God, his father who "makes the sun shine on the evil and the good, and the rain to fall on the just and the unjust".

That is what happens. We are not alone in the world: we have a Father, and we should become like him. Not only that but God has a right to a say in the way we behave, because while we were his enemies we were still immersed in evil, and he was THE FIRST to love us, sending us his Son who died in that ghastly way for each one of us.

Jerry, a little black boy from Washington learnt this lesson. He had a very high I.Q. and so was admitted into a special class, the rest of which was made up of white boys. But his intelligence was not enough for his companions to see he was their equal. His black skin earned him the hatred of all, and when Christmas came all the children gave presents to each other, but left out Jerry. The little boy cried of course. When he got home he thought of Jesus: "Love your enemies", and together with his mother bought presents which he gave with love to each one of his "white brothers".

Elizabeth, a little girl from Florence, suffered such a lot that day as she was climbing the steps to go to Mass and heard the derision from others her age. Although she felt like reacting she smiled and went on into church and PRAYED a lot for them. At the door on the way out they stopped her and asked the reason for her behaviour, and she explained that she was a Christian. So she had to love, always. She said it with a burning conviction. Her witness was rewarded as the Sunday afterwards she saw all those young people very attentive in the front pew of the church. This is the way the young take to the word of God, and it is for this they are GROWN UP in his eyes.

Perhaps it's up to us to settle a particular situation, and it's all the more important since we will be judged according to our judgement of others. It is we ourselves in fact who put into the hand of God the measure with which he has to measure us. Isn't it the case that we pray to him: "Forgive us our trespasses AS we forgive those who trespass against us"? Let us then love our enemies! Only by acting in this way may we sort out disunity, break down barriers and construct the community.

Is it a burden? Is it difficult? Does the mere thought of it rob us of our sleep? Take courage. It is not the end of the world: a little effort on our part, God does ninety-nine percent and ... in our hearts will well up a deep river of joy.