However, in today’s Gospel reading, Jesus asks us to do something radically different: to turn the other cheek to those who have harmed us. How are we to follow what this Gospel reading demands of us? Are we asked to forget what others have done to us and allow ourselves to be mistreated? It is important to understand that turning the other cheek does not, as Pope Frances reminds us, mean “suffering in silence” or “giving in to injustice.” In Al-Anon, we’re told not to be doormats. It doesn’t mean that we tolerate abuse or pretend that the hurt never happened. 

But it does mean that we must make every effort to kill the resentment in our hearts. It is a poison that will kill us, separating us from God and driving us to addiction and unhealthy attachments. One way forward is through the simple 4th step prayer, where we are asked to consider each person on our “grudge” list and pray for them as follows: “This is a sick man. How can I be helpful to him? God save me from being angry. Thy will be done.”

In the very act of willingness to pray for our enemies, we are doing what Jesus asks us to do in today’s Gospel. We are refusing to hate, refusing to return evil with evil. Instead, we are returning evil with good. Saint Augustine tells us we have forgiven when “we have surrendered our natural desire for revenge.” Forgiveness is a powerful act of love, and resentment cannot remain within such a love. Therefore, we are not called to “remember and retaliate.” We are not called to “forget and forgive,” either. Rather, we are called to remember Jesus’ response to all evil against Him with “purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, in truthful speech, in the power of God” (2 Corinthians 6:1-10). We are called to remember His example of love and forgive our neighbor by turning the other cheek.

Reflection Questions

• It is often said in recovery that resentment is like swallowing poison and expecting the other person to die. In what ways has resentment been like poison in your life? How have you experienced the transformative power of forgiving others in recovery? 
• How can you balance turning the other cheek with keeping yourself safe from abuse? What examples of Jesus in Scripture can shed light on this question for you?

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: 1 Kings 21:1-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 5:2-3ab, 4b-6a, 6b-7
Gospel: Matthew 5:38-42

Reflection by Ann A.