Seventh Ordinary

Luke 6: 35

Jesus said, “I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never – I promise – regret it.”

I once was let go from a job as a parish minister. The reason the new pastor gave for my termination was that, after five years in ministry in the parish community, there was not enough office space for me.

It was kind of a lame excuse – there were empty offices in the building. Nonetheless, June 30 would be my final day of ministry. It was commonly agreed by most anyone you asked that I had done good work and won the trust and affection of the community. To this day, I do not know the real reason my contract was not renewed. But what I do know is that the work of forgiveness is not easy.

I soon landed a better job. I found a new community to serve and to love and I found fulfillment in living a vocation that I knew was mine. But the pain and the sting of losing something so dear remained. Over the years, I tried to forgive and I would sometimes even think I had moved on. Then I would be fairly blindsided by resentment when I encountered that pastor.

I spent a lot of time thinking about that. I prayed for grace to forgive and see him as God sees. Over time, I have learned that it is a process. And the gospel provides the ideal. “Do good to those who hate you. Pray for those who mistreat you.” Some days I can do that, even easily. Other days, I have to start anew.