DISCIPLES ARE RECONCILERS

June 10, Thursday

Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

 

      In the rather difficult first reading, Paul states that in the New Testament there is the freedom of the Spirit. We see God in the mirror of Christ.

      In the Gospel Christ tells us that our practice of love should go farther than that of the Scribes and Pharisees. All laws and the whole discipleship are based on love and creating a climate of love in which Christians do not only not kill in acts of violence but not even damage relationships in words and thoughts. Love at its deepest is shown in forgiveness without conditions, even if the one wrong is the other person! That’s not easy at all!

 

First Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:15–4:1,3-6

Only Christ can get rid of the veil so they can see for themselves that there’s nothing there.

Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.

Since God has so generously let us in on what he is doing, we’re not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job just because we run into occasional hard times. We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don’t maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes.

If our Message is obscure to anyone, it’s not because we’re holding back in any way. No, it’s because these other people are looking or going the wrong way and refuse to give it serious attention. All they have eyes for is the fashionable god of darkness. They think he can give them what they want, and that they won’t have to bother believing a Truth they can’t see. They’re stone-blind to the dayspring brightness of the Message that shines with Christ, who gives us the best picture of God we’ll ever get.

Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we’re proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. It started when God said, “Light up the darkness!” and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful.

 

Gospel: Matthew 5:20-26

Unless you do far better than the Pharisees in the matters of right living, you won’t know the first thing about entering the kingdom.

 “You’re familiar with the command to the ancients, ‘Do not murder.’ I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.

 “This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God.

 “Or say you’re out on the street and an old enemy accosts you. Don’t lose a minute. Make the first move; make things right with him. After all, if you leave the first move to him, knowing his track record, you’re likely to end up in court, maybe even jail. If that happens, you won’t get out without a stiff fine.

 

Prayer

Our God of love,
permeate us so deeply with the mentality
of the good news of your Son Jesus Christ
that in us there remains no room
for violence, hatred, or looking down on others.
Help us to create among us
an atmosphere of trust and deep love
that we give first place to the needs of others
and forget ourselves for their sakes
Let there be among us forgiveness without regret
as was taught to us by Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Reflection:

Bread of sinner

The commandment – not to kill – is given a new perspective by Jesus. It included even hatred and anger; violence in the heart, expressed by abusive language.

For some time now, there has been talk of a “culture of death”, which included everything that makes life difficult for people and the planet, contradicting the will of God for us. Pope St. John Paul II had appealed humanity do away with the culture of death and instead embrace the “culture of life”, that favours the existence of all in accordance with the will of the Creator.

At the beginning of the Eucharist, we always recall what we have done to contribute to that “culture of death”, and ask for the forgiveness both from God and from our brothers and sisters. It implies, that we resolve to reconcile with whom we do not like and we do not love… and to forgive those who hate us or have done us wrong. How often do we really think about what we are saying at this time?

It is no good, then, piously bringing our offering to the altar and presenting it to God while we are –in conflict with a brother or sister. We cannot separate our relationship with God and with that of a brother/sister. At the beginning of the Communion, we together recite the Lord’s Prayer in which we all say: “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” How often are we conscious of saying those words and how often do we really mean them?

Just after that, we are invited to share a sign of peace with those around us. But again, so often this becomes an empty gesture, like a nod of the head, and for the most part, made to someone we do not even know.

Jesus challenged the attitude of Scribes and Pharisees who were looking for gaining God’s favour by scrupulously following the law. Similar attitudes are still visible among us today. There are many who are very anxious to know whether a certain action “is a sin” or not. Such an approach leads in many cases to be afraid of a punishing God. God becomes a menacing shadow ready to strike at the smallest wrongdoing.

Jesus calls us to forgiveness and mercy and not to punishment and death. During the angelus prayer on the Solemnity of the Corpus Christi, Pope Francis reminded us this beautiful message of consolation: “Eucharist is not as the reward of saints, but the Bread of sinners, that each time we receive the Bread of Life, the Lord comes to give new meaning to our fragilities.”

Video available on Youtube: Bread of sinner