In January I prayed with the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola while on retreat. There were a times when what God was asking of me felt impossible to do on my own. So, I found myself asking Jesus for the grace I needed. In asking Jesus directly and trusting him to help me, I found that responding to God’s call and desire felt more possible. My own walls of resistance came down.

As I read today’s Gospel, I find myself facing what seems to be impossible – to love my enemies, those who persecute me, those who are difficult to love. I know that I cannot do this by myself. So, I turn to Jesus and ask for the grace to do this. What this Gospel also reminds us is that the sun rises, the rain falls, on each of us. We are called to love generously and expansively. Love that is challenging for us as humans, but fully possible for our God.

I don’t have the answer for what it means to love our enemies, but what I do know how to do is pray for others and for the grace to do “the impossible” for which God calls me. Please join me in prayer.

Let me begin by taking a deep breath in and out. Again, deepening my breath in and out, noticing a place in my body I am holding tension, maybe in my jaw, or shoulders or hands or even toes. As I take another deep breath in and out, I release the tension held here.

Loving Christ, I come to you today with what feels impossible – to love my enemy. I ask for the grace and guidance to do so. I ask for trust in you, that you might help me love those whom it is difficult to love. I continue to pray for justice and peace for all those who are persecuted. I offer gratitude to God that the sun rises and the rain falls and that tomorrow will be a new day. Amen.