Mt 5,43-47

Stand in God’s presence. God is present here and now, looking upon you with love.

Ask for the Grace: I will beg God our Lord that all my intentions and actions may be directed purely to the praise and service of His Divine Majesty

Fixing a place, a picture for meditation: Jesus is in Galilee. Perhaps he is on one of the mountains, fewer it is a beautiful view of the area. See the lake, fields, meadows. There are a lot of people on this mountain. Everyone is listening to what Jesus says. Today, he explains to people what love to another person is about. Listen… be present in this scene.

Ask for the fruit of meditation: that I would like to love God, myself and others more 

1.     … love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you …

Jesus sets a very difficult requirement for us. Perhaps each of us can still pray for our enemies, but to love them seems impossible. However, we can realize that Christ lives in everyone, and if I cannot love my enemy, I can love Christ who is in him.Also ask yourself: who is my greatest enemy, who do I think badly about, who do I complain about the most, who do I reject, etc.? Are you not your own enemy? Do you forget about yourself, add more burdens to bear and punish yourself? Maybe it is worth starting with yourself, liking yourself, loving yourself with everything you have and what you are. The commandment of love says: love your neighbor as yourself. So, until you love yourself, you will not be able to love others, especially your enemies. And now you may not even agree that this is the case, and you may think that you love others but not yourself. But is it really? If you are strict and very demanding on yourself, then for others as well. If you do not give yourself the right to make a mistake, the failures of others will make you very angry. Look at yourself with love and tenderness, touch yourself with love and tenderness, just like the loving Father God does. He accepts you as you are now, you don’t have to do anything else to deserve his love. Perhaps, starting today, you will stop persecuting yourself and be gentle with yourself. What are you feeling now?

2. …he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust

These words show that there is a place on earth for everyone. Every man is God’s creature and God loves everyone, and he gives everyone the same goods out of his love. It is up to each of us to see and accept them. Both abundance and shortage are often difficult to accept. Look at the reality that surrounds you as a certain unity, in which there is a place for every human being, in which there is a space for difficult and pleasant feelings, in which there is a space for good and unpleasant events. Maybe it is worthwhile to merge what seems difficult to accept …

Meditation: St Ignatius encourages in The Spiritual Exercises No. 2 … Because not so much knowledge, but internal feeling and the taste of things please and saturate the soul, that is, we stay where we feel interior movement … and nervously do not try to go on.

The final conversation: Spend a little time at the end, being with God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit….as you would with a good friend: sometimes talking, sometimes listening, sometimes being together in silence. Speak to God about your feelings. Remember that times when ‘nothing is happening’ can also be significant. When you’re ready, end your prayer by saying thank you or using words that are familiar, such as the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father)–whichever feels right and comfortable. (The Spiritual Exercises No.54)