“Love your enemies and pray for those who offend you” (Mt 5:44-45) But in the face of those who offend the Church, how do we react?

Newsroom (Gaudium Press) The Sermon of the Mount occupies three chapters of St. Matthew’s Gospel, and the Holy Church dedicates six consecutive Sundays to hear and meditate on them, throughout the Year A, such is the value and importance that their teachings bring to the life of the Catholic.

On the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time, for example, we are reminded of the “new teaching” brought by Our Lord: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt 5:44).

Love your enemies! What does this mean?

“If someone slaps you on your right cheek, offer him also your left. If anyone wants to sue you for your tunic, give him your cloak as well…” (Mt 5:39-40)

Let us think of the peoples of antiquity, for centuries accustomed to rude and barbaric customs, suddenly hearing from the divine lips of Our Lord these words, “Love your enemies…” – when the prevailing law was that of the strongest….

In fact, even among the chosen people – as we read in the book of Exodus – there was the following rule: “life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, blow for blow” (21:23-25). You can see that at that time no kind of lenient and pitying attitude toward the guilty was allowed…

However, it is to these people that Jesus insists on a precept entirely opposed to their criteria: “Love your enemies. In this way you will become children of your heavenly Father” (Mt 5:44-45).

Jesus did this, because he wanted to open their eyes; especially in view of the exaggerated pride that filled their souls, an impediment to the action of grace. In fact, if there is one thing that the proud person does not allow, it is to be hurt by any insult or offense they receive. It is very easy to swell with indignation when the “I” is at the center. Now, this is not how the saints proceeded.

The story is told that a nobleman once came before the Bishop of Geneva, St. Francis de Sales, and reproached him with offensive words. In spite of this, the saint remained unmoved and serene, and did not answer his attacker. A priest who had witnessed the event then approached St. Francis and asked him the reason for such an attitude. The saint replied, “My father, I have made a pact with my tongue, by which it will keep silent as long as my heart is full, and will never reply to any word capable of provoking me to anger. [1] A few days later, the same person appeared again, but this time covered in tears and repentant, because he had been moved by the bishop’s humility.

However, in a certain passage of John’s Gospel, Jesus himself seems to react in a unique way when slapped by a soldier in the house of Annas, for he did not keep silent, and did not even offer him the other cheek, but instead said to him, “If I have spoken evil, tell me; but if I have spoken well, why do you strike Me?” (Jn 18:23).

Is there not, then, a contradiction? No! They are two attitudes which, at first glance, may seem disparate, but which fulfill the same principle: “love your enemies”. Why? The Divine Redeemer wanted to make it clear that, when faced with an offense done to us, we should never act out of self-love, but consider that act as an outrage to God, by transgressing His commandments. However, in the case of the fact reported by St. John, turning the other cheek would induce the welder to turn the other cheek.

By Guilherme Motta

[1] HAMON, André-Jean-Marie. Life of Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Prince of Geneva. Paris: Jacques Lecoffre et Cie, 1858, vol. II, p. 161.

[2] Cf. idem, p. 295-296.