杏MAP导航

鈥淟ove your enemies鈥� and pray for those who mistreat you鈥�. 鈥淚t is not an optional extra, it is a command.鈥� Those were the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 words during his Angelus address in St Peter鈥檚 Square.

He was referring to Sunday鈥檚 Gospel from St Luke, in which Jesus calls to those who hear, to 鈥渄o good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you鈥�.  杏MAP导航 Francis said that Jesus knew very well that 鈥渓oving our enemies goes beyond our possibilities, but for this reason he became man: not to leave us as we are, but to transform us into men and women capable of a greater love, that of his Father and ours.鈥�

Let love triumph over hate

The 杏MAP导航 explained that, 鈥淛esus wants God's love to triumph over hatred and resentment in every heart.鈥� Posing the question, 鈥渉ow is it possible to overcome human instinct and the worldly law of retaliation?鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis responded by saying, 鈥渢he answer is given by Jesus on the same Gospel page: 鈥楤e merciful, as your Father is merciful鈥�. Whoever listens to Jesus, whoever strives to follow him even if it costs him, becomes a son of God and begins to truly resemble the Father who is in heaven.鈥�

A revolution of Mercy

 鈥淭here is nothing greater or more fruitful than love鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 stressed, 鈥渋t gives a person all his dignity, while hatred and revenge diminish it, disfiguring the beauty of the creature made in the image of God. This command, to respond to insults and injustice with love, has generated a new culture in the world: the "culture of mercy, which gives life to a true revolution", he said.

鈥淛esus assures us鈥�, said 杏MAP导航 Francis, 鈥渢hat our behaviour, marked by love for those who harm us, will not be in vain.鈥� 鈥淲e must forgive鈥�, he underlined, 鈥渂ecause God has forgiven us and always forgives us.鈥� If we do not forgive completely, we cannot expect to be forgiven. Instead, if our hearts are opened to mercy, if forgiveness is sealed with a fraternal embrace and the bonds of communion are tightened, we can proclaim before the world that it is possible to overcome evil with good.鈥�