Jesus proposes Perfection according to the Father: loving and forgiving even our enemies makes us sons.
Francis of Assisi often repeated that Love was not loved. Going beyond the considerations of the Old Testament (cf. Lev 19:18), for him one was called to love everyone and not to consider only one's fellow countrymen as neighbour.
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy. Now I say to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Mt 5:43-44).
In the writings of the Poor Man of Assisi [Paraphrase of the Our Father] we read:
"As we forgive our debtors:
and what we do not know how to fully forgive, you, Lord, make us fully forgive, so that, for your sake, we may truly love our enemies and devoutly intercede with you, rendering no one evil for evil, and striving in you to be of benefit to all" (FF 273).
In the Letter to a Minister:
"I say to you [...] every person who will be an obstacle to you, whether they be brothers or others, even if they cover you with beatings, all this I must consider as a grace [...].
And in this love them and do not expect them to become better Christians" (FF 234).
All this in order to be children of the heavenly Father, who makes the sun rise on all: good and bad.
Francis, in fact, in front of the scoundrels he met in a forest - while singing the praises of God in French - and who attacked him asking who he was, reacts thus:
"I am the herald of the great King; does this interest you?".
They beat him and threw him into a pit full of snow, saying:
"Stand there, ye herald of God!".
But he, turning this way and that, shaking off the snow, as soon as the brigands are gone, leaps out of the pit and, all joyful, resumes singing in a loud voice, filling the forest with praises to the Creator of all things" (FF 346).
Love your enemies in perfect joy!
Saturday 1st wk. in Lent (Mt 5:43-48)