Can We?

To Love Thy Enemy (Matthew 5:44).

To Forgive Those Who Have Sinned Against Us (Luke 11:4).

To Love and To Forgive. 

Those have got to be the two Scariest, most Difficult things for many…For Most of us to do, Catholic Christian or Not.

Fr. Ron Rolheiser speaks of “Love in a Time of  Opposition.”

How do You deal with those who are hostile towards you? 

How do you handle those who Oppose You? 

How do you Clarify Misunderstandings? 

How do you Answer Hatred? 

Do you become so Intimidated that you Freeze?

Do you Not Care what Others think?  It’s not your problem!

Do you become Condescending?  Do you feel sorry for those people?

How did Jesus Treat those who despised Him?  Those who hated Him?  And ultimately those who Crucified Him?

He Loved and He Forgave…

He was self-aware.  He was aware that He was God’s Son and that He was Loved.  And from there He drew the Power and Energy to Forgive.

As Fr. Ron states, We TOO have that Gift!  We Too are God’s Children and are Loved by Him!  Thus, we too can Love and Forgive as Jesus did.

Fr. Ron challenges us:

Very few things, I believe, are more needed today, in both society and the church, than this capacity for understanding and forgiveness. To continue to offer others genuine love and understanding in the face of opposition and hatred constitutes the ultimate social, political, ecclesial, moral, religious, and human challenge.Sometimes church people try to single out one particular moral issue as the litmus test as to whether or not someone is a true follower of Jesus. If there is to be litmus test, let it be this one:

Can you continue to love those who misunderstand you, who oppose you, who are hostile to you, who hate you, and who threaten you – without being paralyzed, calloused, or condescending?

Can we?

To Read the Full Article, click on any of the links provided, or you can just click here.  If for any reason it does not take you to the right article, search for the one dated July 25th 2010.