Homily: February 23, 2025 Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Love enemies)

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 “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:27-28)

Love and hate are two very powerful human emotions that can heal or kill. Love can heal deep wounds and great divisions, while hatred can drive one to destroy lives and shatter peace. With love we can forgive, through hate we create fear.

In the first reading, we see David and Abishai entering the camp of Saul’s 3,000 strong army, crept into where the king was sleeping soundly. David had good reason to hate Saul and the perfect opportunity to kill him, but he chose not to. David chose to love and honor God who anointed Saul. 

26 years ago, Graham Staines, an Australian Christian missionary who took care of lepers in North India, was burnt alive by extremists, along with his two young sons. The attackers were fueled by hatred. Yet, just days after the deadly attack, Graham’s widow, Gladys Staines, publicly forgave the murderers, and continued to live in India to care for the lepers. She could have hated the enemies, but she chose love and forgiveness.

Pope John Paul II was almost assassinated by Ali Agca, who hated the Church. Shortly after he recovered from his wounds, the pope visited Agca in prison for love of the man and to show him forgiveness. Years later, the assassin converted to Christianity. Love, not just for those who love us, but for those who hate us, is powerful.

Two weeks ago, we celebrated the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita, a Sudanese saint who had endured unimaginable sufferings throughout her life. 

Kidnapped at age 7 by Muslim traders, she was forced to walk 600 miles barefoot and sold into slavery more than 12 times. She bore 144 scars from brutal beatings by her slave masters.

Yet, after her conversion to Christianity, she said, “If I was to meet those slave raiders that abducted me and those who tortured me, I'd kneel down to them to kiss their hands… All my life has been his gift for me: men are tools; thanks to them I have received the gift of the faith.”

Her love motto was, “The Lord has loved me so much: we must love everyone… we must be compassionate!”

If St. Bakhita had lived with hate, she would have been bitter for her sufferings. But she chose to love and forgive her enemies, thus she lived with much joy, peace and gratitude for the rest of her life.

Last week, our Burmese community shared with me a heart wrenching news. A young priest in Myanmar, Fr. Donald Martin, was brutally killed. He was ordained priest in 2018 and had served with great dedication through the 7 years of priesthood. Due to ongoing civil unrest, many schools remain closed, thus Fr Donald Martin had been running an informal school to provide continuity of study for the children. On February 14, ten members from a rebel group entered the school, and tried to force Fr. Donald to kneel before them, to which he replied calmly, “I kneel only before God.”

They proceeded to stab him repeatedly till he died. The Archbishop Tin Win who preached at the funeral, said, “Violence only brings death and destruction; it is always a defeat.” 

Love, forgiveness and reconciliation are the only ways to break the cycle of hatred, anger and violence.

After all that has happened, can we still love the attackers, the murderers, the criminals?

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

Last week, a visiting Burmese priest shared with me some pictures of Fr. Donald Martin’s ordination taken with his parents. It must be painful for his parents, to see their beloved son who served others well, die a brutal death. Can they love the enemies who killed their son?

Our Heavenly Father too saw His only begotten Son suffer and die from the fear and hatred of sinners. He, who has the power to condemn, has chosen to forgive and mercifully offer all of us eternal life for the sake of His Son’s sacrifice.

God has shown us how He loved, not just those who love Him, but also those who hated Him, cursed Him and mistreated Him.

We can’t do it, but with His grace, we can. Let love, forgiveness and reconciliation break the evil cycle of hatred, anger and violence. Let there be peace on earth. Amen.


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