Vatican, 19 February, 2023 / 4:10 pm (ACI Africa).
Instead of acting out of self-interest or convenience, the Lord challenges us to love others in excess “without calculation,” Pope Francis said on Sunday.
Speaking from the window of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Feb. 19, the pope reflected on what it means to “love your enemies,” as Jesus commanded in Sunday’s Gospel.
“Brothers and sisters, the Lord invites us to step out of the logic of self-interest and not to measure love on the scales of calculations and convenience. He invites us not to respond to evil with evil, to dare to do good, to risk in giving, even if we receive little or nothing in return,” he said in his Angelus address.
The pope underlined that this “extraordinary love” has the power to slowly transform conflicts and “heal the wounds of hatred.”
“Jesus’ words challenge us. While we try to remain within the ordinary with utilitarian reasoning, he asks us to open ourselves up to the extraordinary … a freely-given love,” Francis said.
