Scripture
Matthew 5: 43-48
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Ignatian Reflection
The Opportunity to Love
In the fifth chapter of Matthew, we are well into the Sermon on the Mount. We hear familiar and comforting phrases: “Blessed are the poor in spirit” and “You are the light of the world.”
However, today the commands to love our enemies and to be perfect can be harder to hear; taken at face value, they can seem almost too challenging, too far out of reach.
And yet, for Jesus loving our enemies and being perfect is not just some abstract, spiritual teaching. Rather, it is the constant invitation to show love in the concrete realities of our lives, in the same way the heavenly Father shows love through His very real and undiscriminating gifts of sunshine and rain. The law that Jesus gives today is not a set of rules to judge behavior, but the gift of new relationship and a new vision of the world.
What a gift it is to have the opportunity today to love.
—Jon Herrington, SJ, is a Jesuit scholastic of the Midwest Province studying philosophy at Fordham University in New York City.
Ignatian Prayer
Jun 16, 2026
Prayer
Heavenly Father, you are perfect and you have sent us your Son, Jesus, to show us how to be perfect. Send us your Spirit to help us see the world as Jesus does and to show love more in deeds than in words. Amen.
—Jon Herrington, SJ
The Daily Examen is a prayer technique developed by St. Ignatius to help us reflect on the events of the day to discern God's presence and direction. When Ignatius founded the Society of Jesus, he required the Jesuits to practice the Examen twice daily—at noon and at the end of the day. It's a habit that Jesuits, and many other Christians, practice to this day.
The Examen structure presented below is adapted from a technique described by Ignatius Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises. Click here for more information from our partners in ministry at Loyola Press.
Daily Examen
1. Become aware of God's presence
God, I believe that at this moment I am in your presence and you are loving me.
2. Review the day with gratitude
God, you know my needs better than I know them. Give me your light and your help to see how you have been with me, both yesterday and today.
3. Pay attention to your emotions
God, help me to be grateful for the moments when people have affirmed me and challenged me. Help me to see how I have responded, and whether I have been kind to others and open to growth.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it
God, forgive me for when I have not done my best or have failed to treat others well. Encourage me, guide me, and continue to bless me.
5. Look toward tomorrow
As I look to the remainder of this day, make me aware that you are with me. Show me how to be the person you want me to be.
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