These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.

TUESDAY, WEEK XI, ORDINARY TIME

Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father. (Mt 5:43-44)

What can I say? “Love your enemies.” The Lord asks impossible things of us . . . but of course, he gives us an example. What else happened on the Cross but that the Lord forgave us all? If only we could learn to love our enemies . . . what a different world it would be!