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MATTHEW 5:44 — KING JAMES VERSION 0
Matt 5:43Matt 5:45
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. The positive command — love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you — extends the neighbor category to include those who are hostile. The prayer command is particularly significant: praying for someone requires sustained attention to their welfare and regularly brings the one praying into the posture of desiring good for the person prayed for. Romans 12:14 says bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. The love of enemies is not a feeling but a practice — a set of actions (prayer, blessing, doing good) that may or may not be accompanied by warm emotion but that consistently orient toward the enemy's welfare.

Church Fathers on Matthew 5:44

The Lord has taught above that we must not resist one who offers any injury, but must be ready even to suffer more; He now further requires us to shew to them that do us wrong both love and its effects. And as the things that have gone before pertain to the completion of the righteousness of the Law, in like manner this last precept is to be referred to the completion of the law of love, which, according to the Apostle, is the fulfilling of the Law.

Gloss (Glossa Ordinaria) · medieval compilation · non occ.

That by the command, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour,' all mankind were intended, the Lord shewed in the parable of the man who was left half dead, which teaches us that our neighbour is every one who may happen at any time to stand in need of our offices of mercy; and this who does not see must be denied to none, when the Lord says, 'Do good to them that hate you.'

Augustine · 4th century · de Doctr. Christ., i, 30

As that, Thou shalt not lust, was not spoken to the flesh, but to the spirit, so in this the flesh indeed is not able to love its enemy, but the spirit is able; for the love and hate of the flesh is in the sense, but of the spirit is in the understanding. If then we feel hate to one who has wronged us, and yet will not to act upon that feeling, know that our flesh hates our enemy, but our soul loves him.

Pseudo-Chrysostom · 5th century
Read all 26 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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