Twenty-Third Thursday of Ordinary Time

Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount.

Loving others, doing good, and lending are not enough for us in God’s eyes. It is easy to do these things with people we love or trust. What is more difficult, but even more necessary is loving those whom we find most difficult to love, doing good to those who have done evil to us, and lending to those whom might never repay us. These actions are done without self-interest or expectation of return. They mimic Christ’s selfless sacrifice upon the cross better than anything else we can do because they are acts of love and mercy in the face of wickedness and ungratefulness.

Do we love those whom we find most difficult to love? Do we do good to those who have done evil to us? Do we lend to others without the expectation of return?

O Lord, grant us the grace to love our enemies, do good to our persecutors, and lend to those who may never repay us.

Amen.