Love your enemies.  Three short words that could take a whole lifetime of accomplish. It is easier said than done.  Blessed the person who does not acquire enemies throughout their life. Many have enemies out of failed friendships.  Many have enemies because of trauma in the past.  Many have enemies because of a lack of love and understanding in human relationships.  With love there is always a risk.  Those who once were closest friends because of betrayal become the worst enemies.  These are some ways that enmity may arise.  However, all arise because the persons are still living with the old self, the first man that is from the earth.  Once a person becomes spiritual and is living after the example of the second man, Jesus Christ, there is more openness to forgiving the enemies.  It is very human to have grudges, and not very common to forgive.  Many who claim to be Christian (self-included) are still living in a very human level. It is hard to forgive enemies and especially when others are whispering in the ear not to do so. Divine assistance is needed.  But here are some suggestions given in the readings on what can be done to love enemies, very spiritual but also very practical.   First, remember that all are created in the image and likeness of God, yes, even that person who is not to be named.   Second, bring that person up to prayer. At first even the name will not want to be mentioned.  But when healing starts to take place, the name will be offered up as well, not with editorial notes but just the name.  Sometimes it important to pray an “Our Father” for remind about forgiving others if want to be forgiven.  Third, if Spirit leads in this direction, and this is hard, to do good to them in some sort of fashion.  A small act of kindness whether directly or indirectly.  A simple hello, a simple “how are you?” can be a starting point. Sometimes even those phrases are difficult.  Fourth, realize that forgiveness is different than reconciliation.   A person can forgive and yet not reconcile.  Jesus mentions it is important to love your enemies, but sometimes the relationship is so fracture that a person can love them but not be reconciled to them. Reconciliation happens when both parties agree to let go of the hurts of the past and enter a new phase of their relationship with a meeting to communicate and offer mutual forgiveness.  However, sometimes this does not happen because one or the two do not want to even meet with the other.  Forgiveness can still be offered from afar without any interaction. Sometimes a healthy distance is necessary for the well-being of all people included.  An enemy does not need to become a close friend, but all the anger and hurt is being let go, by offering forgiveness. Fifth, lend expecting nothing back.  This may not seem to fit in with loving enemies, but in the end it does.  Lending money expecting no return creates a sense of a generous heart and when this practice is done often, the generosity of finances also becomes the generosity of the heart.  When a person lets go of material possessions, the heart becomes freer to forgive. Sixth, stop judging.  This needs to be clarified.  A person can make a judgement between right and wrong.  Sometimes this is used by some people to be allowed to do whatever they want and to become permissible.  They say, “Doesn’t the bible say not to judge?” Yes. But it means not to be judgmental.  Not to judge based on appearances.  Not to judge a priori [without getting to know the person first]. Not to judge someone’s intentions.  When a person judges the heart is hardened.  A judgmental person is more likely to have enemies because a lot of enmity arises because judging the intention of others.  The perceived enemies may not even be thinking about the aggrieved person.  Hating enemies is time consuming, and it drains energy. It is better to work on forgiving and invest energy in that way.  It is also important to ask God to look at the world in the way that God looks at the world, which is with love and compassion.  To counter the judgmental attitude that leads to enmity, perhaps is just necessary to contemplate the cross and see how Jesus crucified looked with compassion at those nailing on the cross. Not eyes of anger and judgment, but a gentle gaze of forgiveness.  It is an invitation to look as Jesus looked from the cross to stop judging.  These are all spiritual advice offered in the Gospel to love enemies [and forgive them because of that love] so at the end God may repay each according to the way the lived their love in this life with the gift of eternal life.