Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Reflection
Gospel: Mt 5:20-26
June 9, 2022 | Thursday
I tell you, if your sense of right and wrong is not keener than that of the Lawyers and the Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
You have heard, that it was said to our people in the past: Do not commit murder; anyone who murders will have to face trial. But now, I tell you: whoever gets angry with a brother or sister will have to face trial. Whoever insults a brother or sister is liable, to be brought before the council. Whoever calls a brother or sister “Fool!” is liable, of being thrown into the fire of hell. So, if you are about to offer your gift at the altar, and you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there, in front of the altar; goat once, and make peace with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift to God.
Don’t forget this: be reconciled with your opponent quickly when you are together on the way to court. Otherwise he will turn you over to the judge, who will hand you over to the police, who will put you in jail. There, you will stay, until you have paid the last penny.
Today’s Reflection:
In our Gospel today, Jesus challenges His disciples by telling them, “If your sense of right and wrong is not keener than that of the Lawyers and the Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” By saying this, He is trying to tell us that our faith must surpass external things. Jesus is not saying that these things are bad. He does not say we should stop doing these, but rather, He is reminding us that we may follow these things, but we must also go deeper than these external practices. What is more important is what we have inside our heart. Our heart must be full of love and forgiveness instead of hatred and judgment. /Vulnerasti, 2022
