Lenten Campaign 2025
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Jesus gave us a profound commandment at the Last Supper, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another" (John 13:34).
Sometimes we will hear these words and think nice thoughts, believing that this kind of love does not require any energy or sacrifice on our part.
However, if we keep reading the Gospel, we soon find out how Jesus loved us.
Jesus endured an intense amount of pain and suffering on his way to Calvary, freely letting his creatures nail his body to the cross.
If we truly want to imitate Jesus' love for us, we need to imitate his example of sacrifice, especially for those we might call our "enemies."
Loving your enemies
St. Aelred reflects on this reality in Mirror of Love, where he points out the profound love Jesus had for those who crucified him:
The perfection of brotherly love lies in the love of one’s enemies. We can find no greater inspiration for this than grateful remembrance of the wonderful patience of Christ. He who is more fair than all the sons of men offered his fair face to be spat upon by sinful men; he allowed those eyes that rule the universe to be blindfolded by wicked men; he bared his back to the scourges; he submitted that head which strikes terror in principalities and powers to the sharpness of the thorns; he gave himself up to be mocked and reviled, and at the end endured the cross, the nails, the lance, the gall, the vinegar, remaining always gentle, meek and full of peace.
Not only did he allow himself to be cruelly tortured, but he even asked his heavenly Father to forgive them:
Who could listen to that wonderful prayer, so full of warmth, of love, of unshakeable serenity - Father, forgive them - and hesitate to embrace his enemies with overflowing love? Father, he says, forgive them. Is any gentleness, any love, lacking in this prayer?
How often do we ask God to forgive our enemies, those we despise, and those we even "hate" at times?
We should not only think of those we encounter on a daily basis at work or at home, but also those we dislike from afar.
Internet enemies
The internet has made it easy for us to have enemies around the world. We learn about all the people across the globe who have opposite opinions from us, or even politicians in our own country who enact laws that oppose us.
It is tempting to think that we don't have to love those people we see on our computer screen.
Yet, God invites us to love even them, praying for them and asking God to forgive them for their crimes against humanity.
St. Aelred writes, "if he wishes to savor the joy of brotherly love with greater perfection and delight, he must extend even to his enemies the embrace of true love."
If we want to love as Jesus loved us, it will require great sacrifice and effort to love all people, even our enemies.
