Today’s Gospel is probably one of the most challenging for me, or anyone to hear. Jesus’ instructions on how we are to treat those who do not like us is not very satisfying, is it? Turn the other cheek so they can hit that one too?! Give them my cloak AND tunic?! Walk two miles, instead of just one?! Give to anyone who asks?! And, my favorite, pray for your enemies??!! There’s a part of me that wants to pull Jesus aside and explain to him how this world really works. But then Jesus looks at me and explains it’s not this world he’s talking about. I hate it when he does that. The point Jesus is trying to make is I need to do all this, “[so] that you may be children of your heavenly Creator”. [Mt. 5: 45] In other words, I am to do all these crazy acts of selflessness, not to try and convert the bad ones, but for my own sake. Wow. I’ve missed that point. Jesus never says that there will never be bad people doing evil; “for God makes the sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.” [Mt. 5:16–26] There will always be bullying, robberies, murder and war. That's our world. As much as I mourn the never-ending list of victims of gun violence, there is precious little I can do to eliminate it. I hate that. But Jesus is calling me to look beyond the evil and evil doers. Jesus is setting the bar pretty high. And on my own, it is impossible to achieve it. Fortunately, I have God on my side. With God, all things are possible. [Mt. 19:26] In today's first reading, St. Paul reminds me that I am the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in [me]. [1Cor. 3:16] Hearing that, it’s kinda hard to try and back out. I hate that. And then, just when I’m starting feel like maybe I can do all this, Jesus adds one more thing: So be perfect, just as your heavenly Creator is perfect." [Mt. 5:48] Oh, like THAT'S gonna happen, right?! How can I be as perfect as God?! So, after I take a deep breathe, I learn that the word is better translated as “complete”, not perfect. So God is not asking me to do all things without error and to be morally perfect in all things. (God knows me better than that!) What I am called to do is to strive to reach a level of completeness that makes us one with God. Contemplation, prayer and, yes, praying for my enemies, allows me to get closer to that completeness. In doing so, I become more of a child of God. I love that. Every Day.