Gospel Reflection for the Friday of the First Week of Lent (3/14/2025)

Sisters and brothers in Christ, in today's Gospel, we hear from Jesus' sermon on the mount, challenging to go deeper in our understanding and practice of God's laws and statutes in our lives. Jesus teaches us, saying: "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment. . ." 

We know that killing is against God's commandment; however, here, Jesus said we are liable to judgment even when we have anger toward another and not reconcile with the person  This teaching stretches us and challenges us to be "merciful as our Father in heaven is merciful" and, probably with the exception of  when Jesus calls us to love our enemy, can be a hard pill for us to swallow. However, among other things, this is what it means to "take up our cross daily and come follow" our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is as the Lord God says, in today's first reading from the Prophet Ezekiel: "If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed, f he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just, he shall surely live, he shall not die. . ." However, the Lord God also says: "And if the virtuous man turns from the path of virtue to do evil, the same kind of abominable things that the wicked man does, can he do this and still live? None of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered, because he has broken faith and committed sin; because of this, he shall die."

God does not "derive an pleasure from the death of the wicked" but "rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that he may live." Salvation is always open to us until our bodily death if we choose to turn away from sin and temptation and turn to God. And so, as we continue on our Lenten journey, may the Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving help us to abandon our wicked ways and walk the path of righteousness lest we be liable to judgment.

. . .

Gospel of the Day (Matthew 5:20-26)

Jesus said to his disciples: 

“I tell you, 

unless your righteousness surpasses that

of the scribes and Pharisees,

you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,

You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.

But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother

will be liable to judgment,

and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, 

will be answerable to the Sanhedrin,

and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.

Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,

and there recall that your brother

has anything against you,

leave your gift there at the altar,

go first and be reconciled with your brother,

and then come and offer your gift.

Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court.

Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge,

and the judge will hand you over to the guard,

and you will be thrown into prison.

Amen, I say to you,

you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”