Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinion Guest Writers

Jesus calls us to love our enemies

byStaff writers
22 March 2014
Reading Time: 3 mins read
AA
Couple fighting angry
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Talking Point by Fr Peter Day

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…”  (Matthew 5:43) 

DAVID was a good Jewish man, faithful to his God, devoted to his family and deeply connected to his land.

Khalid was a good Palestinian man, faithful to his God, devoted to his family and deeply connected to his land.

Each year, in early spring, David and Khalid would meet for a chat at a small cafe.

It always began with a respectful, silent handshake.

Then, after a kindly nod towards the waiter, the pair would sit down.

More silence would follow, usually a couple of minutes, until their coffee and sweet biscuits arrived.

Then, without any small talk, off they went – as they had done for 30-odd years:

Said the Jew: “I think it’s important we are allowed to state our case.”

Related Stories

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI turned 95 on a ‘very happy’ day

Cleanup begins after floodwaters swamp South East Queensland again

Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

Said the Palestinian: “I think it’s important we are allowed to state our case.”

Said the Jew: “This is rightfully our land.”

Said the Palestinian: “This is rightfully our land.”

Said the Jew: “We are victims of your aggression.”

Said the Palestinian: “We are victims of your aggression.”

Said the Jew: “We will fight ‘til the bitter end.”

Said the Palestinian: “We will fight ‘til the bitter end.”

Said the Jew: “We are a brutalised and traumatised people.”

Said the Palestinian: “We are a brutalised and traumatised people.”

Said the Jew: “You hate us.”

Said the Palestinian: “You hate us.”

Said the Jew: “There can be no peace ‘til you change your ways.”

Said the Palestinian: “There can be no peace ‘til you change your ways.”

Said the Jew: “Mmm, a nice coffee. Give my regards to your family. See you next year.”

Said the Palestinian: “Mmm, a nice coffee. Give my regards to your family. See you next year.”

The never-ending cycle of misery that is the Middle East is a painful reminder to us all of the consequences borne out by pride, hatred and an inability to forgive.

On a much smaller scale, we too can find ourselves living in a state of “war”, a war within that corrodes and destroys – a culture of death.

The Easter event, on the other hand, is a glorious reminder of the consequences borne out by humility and forgiveness.

It invites us to that place the warmongers and cynics want us to believe does not exist – communion with the One who, while pinned to a wooden cross, said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing”: a culture of Life.

This commandment – it was not merely a suggestion or recommendation – to love our enemy is extraordinary … and unreasonable and irrational and, gosh, nigh on impossible.

Yet it is the only way to end the “war”.

It is Christianity at its purest, saltiest, and most transformative.

And, while one might be a wonderful prayer, or Mass-goer, or charity worker – none of us can claim to know and love Christ until we are prepared to know and love our enemy.

Fr Peter Day is a priest of the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn.

[divider]

ShareTweet
Previous Post

Teach your children well, always be by their side, Pope Francis urges

Next Post

Brisbane Oratory house blessed by Archbishop

Staff writers

Related Posts

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI turned 95 on a ‘very happy’ day
Vatican

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI turned 95 on a ‘very happy’ day

17 May 2022
Cleanup begins after floodwaters swamp South East Queensland again

Cleanup begins after floodwaters swamp South East Queensland again

16 May 2022
Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport
QLD

Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

16 May 2022
Next Post

Brisbane Oratory house blessed by Archbishop

What has happened to tradition of honouring the Holy Name of Jesus?

Former Gold Coast mayor backs ‘Buy a Brick’ project

Popular News

  • Here are the stories of 10 new saints being canonised this Sunday

    Here are the stories of 10 new saints being canonised this Sunday

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Church canonises 10 new saints who shared God’s love

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Queensland election: The pro-life political parties committed to abortion law reforms

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Hearts ‘fused’ together living their vocation

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI turned 95 on a ‘very happy’ day
Vatican

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI turned 95 on a ‘very happy’ day

by Guest Contributor
17 May 2022
0

By CNA POPE Emeritus Benedict XVI celebrated his 95th birthday on April 16 and received more than...

Cleanup begins after floodwaters swamp South East Queensland again

Cleanup begins after floodwaters swamp South East Queensland again

16 May 2022
Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

16 May 2022
The Church canonises 10 new saints who shared God’s love

The Church canonises 10 new saints who shared God’s love

16 May 2022
Hearts ‘fused’ together living their vocation

Hearts ‘fused’ together living their vocation

15 May 2022

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping