July 13, 2026
— Alphonse Favier · Source: Letter of Bishop Alphonse Favier accompanying his siege journal (1900), in The Heart of Pekin: Bishop A. Favier's Diary of the Siege, May–August, 1900, ed. Jos. Freri (Boston: Marlier & Co., 1901), pp. 16–17
Matthew 5:44-45 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven, who causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
After the siege of the Beitang in 1900, Bishop Alphonse Favier saw forty years of work nearly annihilated, yet he spoke of beginning over again, hoped that God would pardon the many who were innocent of the atrocities, and wrote, "We love, and will ever love, our poor people of China." To keep loving after being wounded is the hardest lesson in Jesus' teaching to "love your enemies"; revenge cannot heal wounds, only the love of Christ brings true healing. Reflecting on our lives today, although we haven't experienced war, we often feel bitterness over trivial offenses, building walls of isolation in our hearts. Jesus commands us to pray for those who persecute us, so that we can use the power of the cross to dismantle hatred and liberate our souls. True followers of Christ do not love others in good times, but choose to be bridges of peace even in times of loss, overcoming malice with love.
Loving Heavenly Father, thank you for deeply touching me through the lives of the sages and the words of Matthew 5:44. Lord, when faced with hurt and injustice, my flesh is often filled with weakness, resentment, and bitterness. Fill my heart with your Holy Spirit, granting me forgiveness beyond reason and the will to love my enemies. Just as the Beitang Church endured the ravages of war, heal all the wounds in my heart, so that I may no longer focus on the hurt, but fix my eyes on your cross. Lord, make me a vessel of your peace, sowing forgiveness where there is hatred, building bridges of reconciliation where there are breaches, and letting your love be manifest in my life. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.