Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; 10 love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor. 11 Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute [you], bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Have the same regard for one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly; do not be wise in your own estimation. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil; be concerned for what is noble in the sight of all. 18 If possible, on your part, live at peace with all. 19 Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 Rather, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.” 21 Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good.
The Apostle Paul offers a powerful portrait of Christian love in Romans 12:9-21. These verses flow from the preceding exhortation that Christians must offer themselves as “a living sacrifice” (Rom 12:1). Now, Paul gives flesh to that call in practical terms. This is what Christian love looks like—not in theory, but in action.
“Let love be sincere” (v. 9). The Greek word for “sincere” is anupókritos—literally “without hypocrisy.” Love must be genuine, not a performance. Paul is echoing the consistent teaching of Scripture: God desires not empty gestures, but integrity of heart (cf. Ps 51:6). True love hates evil and clings to what is good because it shares in God’s own nature (cf. Amos 5:15; 1 John 4:7-8).
The verses that follow are a kind of spiritual mirror. They describe the qualities that should mark a disciple of Christ: affection for others, zeal for the Lord, patience in suffering, constancy in prayer, and generosity to those in need. In the early Church, these were not abstractions. Believers cared for the sick during plagues, shared their goods (Acts 2:44-45), and extended hospitality to strangers in the face of persecution. Paul’s list reminds us that holiness is not heroic isolation but humble, daily fidelity.
“Bless those who persecute you” (v. 14) may be among the hardest teachings of all. But it reflects Jesus’ own words: “Love your enemies” (Matt 5:44). In a world still rife with division, Paul calls us to imitate Christ, who from the Cross prayed for His executioners (Luke 23:34). Such forgiveness is not weakness; it is divine strength.
Paul’s command, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (v. 15), speaks to a deep empathy that should characterize Christian community. It recalls Job’s friends who came to sit with him in silence during his affliction (Job 2:13), and Jesus weeping at Lazarus’ tomb (John 11:35). We are to be united in joy and in sorrow—members of one Body in Christ (Rom 12:5).
The final verses—“Repay no one evil for evil... if your enemy is hungry, feed him” (vv. 17–20)—quote directly from Proverbs 25:21-22. Rather than retaliating, we are to overcome evil with good, placing judgment in God’s hands (cf. Deut 32:35). This radical ethic of love, grounded in mercy, points us toward the Cross. Christ did not destroy His enemies; He died for them (Rom 5:8).
During this Easter season, we remember that the Church was born amidst suffering. Yet it triumphed not by sword or argument, but by love. That same Spirit empowers us today. Our trials—whether in family, work, or society—are opportunities to show that the risen life of Christ is at work in us. As Paul told the Philippians, “Let your kindness be known to all” (Phil 4:5). The battle is real, but Christ has already won the victory.
Almighty God, form in us a love that is sincere, humble, and strong. Help us to rejoice in hope, to be patient in affliction, and to persevere in prayer. Make us instruments of Your peace, that in loving our enemies and forgiving those who wrong us, we may bear witness to Your mercy and overcome evil with good. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Bless those who walk by faith and not by sight
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: The Pentateuch. Four Courts Press, 2017
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
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