From today’s gospel passage according to Luke: “Jesus said to his disciples, ‘To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.’”
There are numerous synonyms for “enemy.” Foe, adversary, opponent, rival, nemesis, antagonist, competitor, opposer, challenger. We tend to create an enemy more often than not within an individual who is different than us, who disagrees with our viewpoint, or someone who simply ‘rubs us wrong.’ Charles Spurgeon, the Christian author, acknowledges who is likely the common enemy we each must contend with: “The greatest enemy to human souls is the self-righteous spirit which makes men look to themselves for salvation. . . .Beware of no man more than of yourself; we carry our worst enemies within us.” Sometimes it is easier to hold onto misunderstandings or judgments creating an ‘adversary’ rather than stepping into a prayerful consideration of the other’s situation; listening to their voice and place in life.
Considering the many who opposed him, who denigrated his cause—whether Catholic or Protestant, from the north or the south—Martin Luther King Jr. allowed the grace of Christ Jesus to convert his heart, allowing him to truly grasp the passage from Luke’s gospel. “Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, "Love your enemies." It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. Just keep being friendly to that person. Just keep loving them, and they can’t stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they’ll hate you a little more at that transition period, but just keep loving them. And by the power of your love they will break down under the load. That’s love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love. There’s something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So love your enemies. (from "Loving Your Enemies")”
Recording the various voices, stories and experiences of veterans who served our country in war time or overseas, Arthur Johnson describes the possibilities of healing, forgiveness, and understanding. He details the experience of Michael Gormalley, a veteran of the Vietnam War who served in combat action. “Michael became a teacher after returning from the war, and retired in 2007. When he learned of the need for volunteer teachers of English in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), he volunteered to help. . . .He recalled a chance meeting in Dong Ha, north of Hue, early one morning with an elderly man wearing a suit and a North Vietnamese Army officer’s cap. “I said ‘Xin chào’ [‘hello’ in Vietnamese],” said Gormalley, and the gentleman answered, “Good morning.” That was all the English that he knew, but he saluted Gormalley and Gormalley returned the salute. They encountered each other for several mornings. Then, one day, the Vietnamese gentleman stopped Gormalley and took out some pictures of Dong Hà 50 years ago. When a picture of his family came up, Gormalley was startled to see that his granddaughter had been one of his students. Gaormalley took out his iPhone and showed the other man some class photos. And there she was, the granddaughter. The two men laughed. Gormalley took a selfie with the other man, and then they both saluted and left. . . .The next year, Gormalley found out that the other man had passed away, but for a time there, Gormalley considered the other man, this former North Vietnamese Army soldier, to be his friend.” Arthur Johnson goes on to consider how such could happen, beyond possibly our human capabilities. “How could it be possible for former enemy soldiers, who fought on opposite sides of a long and drawn-out war, to befriend each other? . . .A few years back, they would not have considered the other as a whole human being worthy of an ounce of consideration. . . .once the political imperative of war, and the duty of each soldier to fight for his country was no longer a factor, things were so much different, They had so much in common, these former enemies. They had shared experiences and met similar challenges. Each had displayed courage, had overcome fear, and had done the jobs that they were expected to do when sent by their home countries. . . .In short, each of these men had so much in common with the other, [part of a family and a home, a neighbor to others, volunteering in the community, seeking to live in peace within their respective country.]. (Veterans’ Unlikely Stories by Arthur T. Johnson; 2022)
“If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives: Be kind anyway.
If you are successful you will win some false friends and true enemies: Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank people will try to cheat you: Be honest anyway
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous of you: Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten by tomorrow: Do good anyway.” (Mother Teresa) 
God Bless, Fr. Tim 
FYI: “Why, what's the matter, That you have such a February face, So full of frost, of storm and cloudiness?” (William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing)