7th Sunday in Ordinary Time - C 2025

The words of Jesus in today’s Gospel are challenging.  Love your enemies.  Pray for those who persecute you.  Judge not, lest you be judged.  Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  These are commands with which we are all familiar.  We know we are called to live this radical kind of love.  But knowing these commands is one thing and faithfully adhering to them is another.  Forgiving those who hurt us, praying for our enemies, and showing mercy are all easier said than done.

Furthermore, this teaching is made more difficult by the fact that it is countercultural.  This passage is often entirely ignored – even by people claiming to be Christians.  Our world does not embrace the call to love one’s enemies; it rejects it outright.  This makes it even more difficult to live out this teaching since it is not the prevalent attitude of society.  The prevailing spirit and collective attitude of our time moves in the opposite direction.

Jesus commands us to forgive, and we affirm this every time we pray the Our Father: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  But there is a terrible spirit of unforgiveness in our culture.  People cling to grudges, refuse to let things go, and seek to define others by their worst moments.  How often do we see someone’s past mistakes unearthed and held against them indefinitely?  Whether in politics, entertainment, or social media, our culture is quick to condemn but slow to forgive.

This is clearly illustrated in the so called “cancel culture.”  Social media encourages this unmerciful trend.  If some is perceived to have committed some offense, they are “canceled” and the digital masses heap upon them coals of condemnation.  One mistake, one failure – real or perceived – to meet society’s shifting moral expectations, and a person can be cast out permanently.  There is no room for redemption.  There are no second chances.  Contrast this with the mercy of Christ.  He does not excuse sin, but He never refuses a repentant heart.

Of course, forgiveness does not mean saying, “Oh, it’s fine, don’t worry about it.”  True forgiveness is rooted in justice.  When someone wrongs you, justice demands that that wrong be made right.  Justice demands that the damage be repaired by the offender.  Justice demands restitution.  But to forgive means acknowledging the debt and then choosing to release it.  It does not mean pretending a wrong never happened but rather choosing not to hold it against the offender forever.

As Christians, we are called to love which is the hallmark characteristic of Christianity.  The world’s idea of love is often reduced to sentimentality, pleasant feelings toward another person.  But the love Christ commands is reduced to mere feelings.  It is about willing the good of the other.  Even when we are hurt, angry, or grieving, we can still choose love.  We can still choose to will the good of the person who has wronged us.  And make no mistake.  It is not a natural love to which we are called.  The natural response when someone wrongs us is to retaliate.  Rather, the love to which we are called is supernatural.  It must be the love which Christ has modeled for us.  It is this kind of love which distinguishes Christians.

So, what will you choose?  When people hurt you, you have two options: respond with the spirit of the world or respond like Jesus.

If your ex-spouse has wounded you – choose to forgive and pray for them.
If a family member has betrayed you – choose to forgive and pray for them.
If a friend has hurt you deeply – choose to forgive and pray for them.
If a member or even a leader of the Church has let you down – choose to forgive and pray for them.

This is not easy.  It is easier to stay hurt and nurse a grudge when someone wrongs us.  But when we choose mercy, healing will eventually follow.  And the more we choose to forgive, the more we put mercy into practice, the easier it becomes over time.  The more we choose mercy, the more we reflect the heart of God.  And in that, we find healing.

Be merciful just as your heavenly Father is merciful.  I ask again: What will you choose?