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February 19, 2017 (Sunday) Mt. 5:38-38

Love your Enemies

I. Love is Powerful
Last Tuesday, that is February 14, we celebrated Valentines Day. And Valentines
Day is when we ritualize our celebration of love. Ibat ibang paraan para maipadama ang
pag-ibig at pagmamahal. Perhaps, By dating. Giving of flowers and chocolates. Writing
love poems or by imagining nalang.
Kaya lang, sabi ng isang French philosopher by the name of Jean Luc Marion,
Love is one of the of the most used and abused words. But today in our Gospel, let us try
to revisit love and in revisiting it, we allow the Lord to teach us how to love.
May isang Philosopher na nagngangalang Friedrich Nietzsche na nagsabing ang
pagiging Kristiano daw ay relihiyon ng mga mahihina. Mahina sapagkat, sinusupres daw
ng ating pananapalataya ang mga bagay na nag aallow sa atin upang makamit natin ang
ating full potentials.
And Nietzsche refers to the sayings of Jesus that we have just heard today, saying
that this is the morality of the weak. Balikan natin ang mga sinabi ni Hesus:
When someone strikes you on your right cheek, offer the other one as well.
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
Ang lakas at kapangyarihan para kay Nietzsche ay naipapakita sa pamamagitan ng
dahas. At dahil dito, ang tunay na makapangyarihan ay ang taong kaya niyang sakupin
ang iba. That is why for Him, there is nothing wrong in having revenge: an eye for an eye
and a tooth for a tooth.
But for us Christians, true strength comes from the power of love. For Love has a
power that goes beyond physical strength. Love is the power of the spirit that is in us and it
makes itself felt in our humility and weakness, in mercy and forgiveness.
Love conquers all. Even the hatred that is inflicted upon us. When we love, we put
an end to the violence that people inflict upon us even if we are treated unjustly. Love is
borne in our silence to bear suffering. And love speaks voluminously in our silence. And
this is the kind of love that the Lord Jesus lived. And he died arguing for this love.

II. Love and Justice

We learn from Jesus today that love goes beyond the order of Justice. When justice
says that we have to give what is due to each person. Love on the other hand means
giving even the things that I claim to be rightfully mine.
Hindi lamang ibinibigay ng taong nagmamahal kung anu ang sapat at nararapat
para sa kanyang minamahal. Ang taong nagmamahal ay kaya rin niyang ibigay pati na
ang mga bagay na nararapat na para sa kanyang sarili. Handa siyang mawalan. Handa
siyang mapagkaitan. Upang magkaroon at mapayaman ang kanyang minamahal. That is
why love is not something that we demand from people. Not even to those whom we love.
But rather, love is something that we give..and give and generously give even if the
persons that we love do not deserve the love that we give them.
Kaya ang pag-ibig ay hindi nakabase dun sa kayang ibigay ng ibang tao. Ang pag-
ibig ay nagmumula sa taong nagmamahal. Na sa kanyang pagmamahal, nakaugat siya sa
Panginoon, kay Hesus.
At dahil dito, dahil sa kanyang pag kaugat kay Kristo, ang taong nagmamal ay
kayang sabihin Mahal kita hindi dahil kaya mong suklian ang pag-big na ipinadarama ko
sa iyo. Mahal ktia dahil mahal kita. Mahal kita dahil ako ay umiibig. Ito marahil ang
kahulugan ng the measure of love is to love without measure. And so, the Lord reminds us
today, Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you that you may be called
children of God.
III. Conclusion
Today as we begin again another Week with a Celebration of the Eucharist here at
the Basilica of Our Lady of Piat, I would like to invite you, to pause for a moment, to
remember the persons who hurt and persecute you and those you consider as your
enemies. The Lord tells today, to pray for them.
Lord, you know the contents of our hearts. You are also aware of the wounds and
brokenness that we are now experiencing because of the persons who hurt and persecute
us. I pray for them today. Set our hearts free by teaching us to love by forgiving. We also
pray today for strength so that we may live our lives as persons who are humble and
merciful towards those we encounter in our daily lives. Amen.