Sunday Gospel Reflection
7th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Luke 6:27-38 | Feb. 20, 2022
A Power that Overcomes
by Carlo S. Dureza
I carry many childhood memories to this day—most of them warm and hilarious, touching, and thought- provoking. A memory I distinctly recall is this plastic-covered square picture of Christ’s popular image, “The Eye”.
This picture was perched atop a toy shelf that faced me as I lay in my bed. It was the very first thing I always saw as I woke up every morning. Jesus’ soulful and smiling eyes had its gaze fixed on me. His Sacred Heart was draped with thorns and aglow in fiery red orange. This picture remained firmly etched in my mind as I reached adulthood.
Inscribed in this picture of Jesus were the piercing words, “Only love can conquer evil.” This line stuck with me as I grew up. Having been schooled in Catholic institutions, I was always taught that God is love. It was love that drove Him to the cross. It was love that made Him rise from the dead so we could be saved.
Enmity has no place in love. Nursing enmity within is never good. This breeds hatred, and anything hateful is evil. Love and evil can never co-exist. The gospel today is about enmity. It asks us to do the irreconcilable, that is, loving one’s enemies. Difficult. A tall order from God. But if we believe that only love conquers evil, then we could overcome the seeming impossibility of loving enemies.
God sees. God knows our hearts. He will reward the peacemakers. This is the message of “The Eye” picture of my youth. If we make efforts to go beyond preserving ourselves, to abandon the pride wrapped in us, we would be able to love the unlovable, to pray for those who persecute us, to be good to those who curse us, to give our coats to those who takes our shirts, and to turn our both our cheeks to those who strike us. Only then could we say that we have loved our enemies.
Love is the power that overcomes enmity. This power eradicates evil. It transcends human nature. It is God who enables us to be like Him: kind, forgiving, charitable, humble, and generous.
Happy Sunday! God bless!
