sermons directory St. Mychal Judge Church (Dallas, TX)
The Liberal Catholic Church

Love Your Enemies.

A homily delivered November, 2003
St Clement, Frisco TX
Rev. Wynn Wagner

A homily similar to this was also delivered at St. Thomas Cathedral in New York City, Valentines Day 2004. The sermon was about how easy to love yourself and God, but let's kick it up a notch and love our enemies.

INTENT: Right Energy

The Epistle Speak thou the things which become sound doctrine. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Put[ting] them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
-- Titus 2:1,7,8,11-13; 3:1,2,8

The Gospel I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. Love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
-- Luke 6:27,28,31,35-38

"Love your enemy." Now it's getting personal.

What's worse: it doesn't say anything about changing them. Love your enemies as enemies. It doesn't say... and it doesn't mean... to convert them or to demean them or to slander them. Our marching orders are to love them.

It reminds me of a prayer, and I'm sure you know the words...

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
when there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand,
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying to ourselves that we are born to eternal life.

You could tell me these words were written by Mahatma Gandhi, and I wouldn't be surprised. You could tell me the author was Martin Luther King, and that would make sense. Plato and Hermes (Thrice-blessed) are in the ballpark, too.

But this is the "Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi" - one of those saints, dead for hundreds of years. Hard to relate to a man from the 13th century.

Yeah, but you don't know the whole story of this prayer. There was a soldier in the First World War - a French soldier from the front. That war was so messy: troops on both sides dug trenches and lived in these troughs as they hurled bullets and bombs and poisonous gas toward the enemy trenches across the way.

I don't pretend to assume that I could know such fear. I think that if you were shooting at me... and spewing mustard gas at me... that I would hate you. At a minimum, I don't think that I could turn the other cheek... even though those are our instructions.

And so there was a French soldier in Paris who took out a pen and - thinking of all the death... the red badges of courage... he copied in French this prayer of Saint Francis...

Lord, make me a minister of Your peace.
Where I find hatred, I will put love.
Where I find a wrong, I will cover with justice.
Where I find a doubt, I will leave faith.
Where despair, hope.
Where darkness, light.
Where saidness, joy.

The soldier was not transcribing a prayer memorized as a school boy. This soldier who knew war and terror and death more than anyone should was the author.

We call this the "Prayer of Saint Francis" because after it was found in a church, scribbled on paper, it was printed in French on the back of a holy card of Saint Francis, and the myth of the prayer was started.

But it wasn't Saint Francis - not Italian, not Latin... not even centuries old. It was an anonymous French soldier from the trenches, a victim of modern chemical warfare.

And what kind of Grace does it take to write such words under fire? Under the daily threat of death from mustard gas that burns you from the inside out?

And when I get pissed when somebody almost runs me and the Harley off the road-- hang up and drive!... or treats me without the dignity due any human... or even blows up the World Trade Center... and I'm supposed to love Osama and Bubba in his S.U.V.

Frankly, I'm not there yet. I don't always do what I need to do or think holy thoughts. But thanks to a World War One soldier, I have the words to ask for that Grace --

Heavenly Father, Give me the grace because I can't do it myself,
And under fire, I won't remember to ask...
So, make me not to want
to be right all the time at the expense of others;	`to understand`
to be in such a hurry that I can't give way;	`to console`
to be loved, as to love.	`to love`
Here's the process and how it works--
It is in giving that we receive.
It is in forgiving that we are forgiven.
And it is in dying to ourselves that we are born to life.

That's what "love your enemy" feels like.