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Chapter 34OdoC.3.34

Caput XXXIII

Praying for Enemies after Christ and Paul

Odo urges believers to pray for enemies, following Christ’s prayer on the cross and Paul’s tears and supplication for Israel’s salvation.

Furthermore, never let this leave your mind: whether people accept a word of peace and correction from an enemy, or whether they refuse to listen, you must pray earnestly for them, following the example of our Savior or of blessed Paul. For Paul knew they were thirsting for his blood, since no effort of his could persuade them to salvation. This one and only thing he could offer, he strove to give: he wept and took refuge in prayer, saying, 'Brothers, the desire of my heart and my supplication to God is made for their salvation' (Rom.✦ X, 1). So let it not escape our notice that we ought to love our enemies by his example, and that if we are not yet the sort of people who can receive the plundering of our goods with joy, according to the Apostle, let us at least be the kind who bless those who persecute us.✦✦ This indeed seems hard to the proud. Christ says: 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing' (Luke✦ XXIII, 34).

The Saints Who Interceded for Their People

Stephen, Paul, Moses, and David are presented as models who prayed for, or even offered themselves for, those who sinned against them.

Stephen says: Lord, do not hold this sin against them (Acts✦ 7:59). Paul says: I myself was wishing to be accursed from Christ for my brothers, my own kin according to the flesh (Rom.✦ 9:3). Moses says: If you forgive them their sin, forgive it; but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written (Exod.✦ 32:31, 32). For David says: Let your hand be turned against me and against my father's house (2 Sam.✦ 24:17).

The Duty to Imitate the Saints in Prayer

Samuel’s refusal to cease praying leads to the argument that Christians must imitate the Old and New Testament servants of God, especially since Christ teaches that loving only friends is no better than the tax collectors.

Samuel says: "Far be it from me to sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you" (1 Kings✦ 12:23). What forgiveness, then, can we hope to deserve, if we do not follow the example of so great a company of servants from the Old and New Testaments, and especially the example of the Lord himself? For as John asserts in his first homily on the cross and the thief, it is better to pray for enemies than for friends.✦ Whence the Lord says: "If you love those who love you, what reward will you have?✦ Do not even the tax collectors do the same?"✦ Matt. 5:46).

Prelates Called to Intercede with Tears

Praying for enemies is the mark of imitating God; Gregory the Great commends such prayer, and prelates especially must intercede, laying bare their own sins and weeping for sinners, since Christ shed His blood for us.

So if we've prayed only for our friends, we haven't yet risen above the tax collectors.✦ When we pray for our enemies, we imitate God as far as that's possible for us. Hence blessed Gregory says that the prayer most commended to the divine ears is the one that strives to intercede even for enemies. This, however, is something especially to be carried out by prelates, who both know the divine precepts more fully and better, and ought to carry the tender and unteachable minds of their subjects as nurses or fathers. For in this — that they intercede for the sins of others, as is reported in the ninth homily on the last part of Ezekiel — they lay bare their own sins more fully before the eyes of God, because by that very charity with which, in wonderful piety, they sacrifice themselves in lamentations for another's iniquity, they justify themselves. Nor should it be laborious for teachers to pour out tears for converted sinners, when even He who created all things, having become man, poured out His blood on the cross for our iniquities.

Read the original Latin

Illud praeterea nullatenus animo abscedat, quod sive patiantur verbum inimici pacis et correptionis, sive non patiantur audire, pro eis ad exemplum Salvatoris nostri vel beati Pauli certatim orandum est. Idem namque Paulus noverat quod ipsum ejus cruorem sitiebant, cum eis nulla industria salutem persuadere posset. Hoc unum et solum quod poterat praestare nitebatur, nam lacrymabatur et orationis opem adhibebat, Fratres, inquiens, voluntas cordis mei, et obsecratio ad Deum fit pro illis ad salutem (Rom. X, 1). Non itaque nos praetereat, quod inimicos exemplo ejus diligere debeamus, et si non simus tales, ut juxta Apostolum rapinam bonorum nostrorum cum gaudio suscipiamus, vel simus tales qui persequentibus nos benedicamus. Quod quidem durum superbis videtur. Christus dicit: Pater, dimitte illis, quia nesciunt quid faciunt (Luc. XXIII, 34).

Stephanus dicit: Domine, ne statuas illis hoc peccatum (Act. VII, 59). Paulus ait: Optabam anathema esse ego ipse a Christo pro fratribus meis qui sunt cognati mei secundum carnem (Rom. IX, 3). Moyses dicit: Si dimittis illis peccatum, dimitte: sin autem, et me dele de libro quem scripsisti (Exod. XXXII, 31, 32). David enim ait: Vertatur manus tua super me et super domum patris mei (II Reg. XXIV, 17).

Samuel ait: Mihi absit peccare intermittendo pro vobis Deum orare (I Reg. XII, 23). Quam igitur veniam mereri poterimus, si tantorum servorum de Veteri atque Novo Testamento, et praesertim ipsius Domini non imitamur exemplum. Ut enim in prima homelia de cruce et latrone Joannes asserit, melius orare pro inimicis est, quam pro amicis. Unde Dominus: Si diligitis, inquit, eos qui vos diligunt, quam mercedem habebitis? nonne et publicani hoc faciunt? (Matth. V, 46).

Si ergo pro solis amicis oraverimus, nondum publicanos vincimus. Quando pro inimicis oramus, Deum in quantum possibile est imitamur. Hinc beatus Gregorius ait, quia divinis auribus illa maxime oratio commendatur, quae pro inimicis quoque intercedere nititur. Hoc tamen quod dicimus praelatis maxime gerendum est, qui et divina praecepta plenius et melius sciunt, et teneras ac indociles subditorum mentes portare quasi nutricii vel patres debent. In hoc enim quod pro alienis peccata interveniunt, sicut in ultima Ezechielis parte homelia nona perhibetur, sua ante Dei oculos plenius detegunt, quia ea ipsa charitate justificant se, qua mira pietate pro aliena iniquitate se in lamentis mactant. Nec laboriosum debet esse doctoribus pro conversis peccatoribus lacrymas fundere quando et ipse qui omnia creavit homo factus, pro nostris iniquitatibus in cruce sanguinem fudit.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Rom.10.1 — Brothers and sisters, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.
  2. ↩1Cor.4.12-1Cor.4.13 — and we toil, working with our own hands; when reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; 1Cor.4.13 — when slandered, we speak gently; we have become like the world's refuse, the scum of everything, even to this moment.
  3. ↩Matt.5.44;Luke.6.28 — But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Luke.6.28 — Bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat you.
  4. ↩Luke.23.34 — Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided his garments by casting lots.
  5. ↩Acts.7.59 — And they were stoning Stephen, who was calling upon the name of the Lord, saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
  6. ↩Rom.9.3 — For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ, for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.
  7. ↩Exod.32.31-Exod.32.32 — Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Oh, this people has sinned a great sin, and they have made for themselves gods of gold." Exod.32.32 — But now, if you will forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.
  8. ↩2Sam.24.17 — David said to the LORD when he saw the angel who was striking the people, "Look, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. But these sheep — what have they done? Let your hand, please, be against me and against my father's house."
  9. ↩1Kgs.12.23 — Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying:
  10. ↩Luke.23.39-Luke.23.43 — One of the criminals who were hanged there kept heaping insults on him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" Luke.23.40 — But the other one answered, rebuking him: 'Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same judgment?' Luke.23.41 — And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we have earned; but this man has done nothing wrong. Luke.23.42 — And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Luke.23.43 — And he said to him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
  11. ↩Matt.5.46 — For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
  12. ↩Matt.5.46 — For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
  13. ↩Matt.5.46 — For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

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