Friday of the First Week of Lent
Lectionary: 228
Lectionary: 228
Thus says the Lord GOD:
If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed,
if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just,
he shall surely live, he shall not die.
None of the crimes he committed shall be remembered against him;
he shall live because of the virtue he has practiced.
Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked?
says the Lord GOD.
Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way
that he may live?
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.
You say, “The LORD’s way is not fair!”
Hear now, house of Israel:
Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?
When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies,
it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.
But if the wicked, turning from the wickedness he has committed,
does what is right and just,
he shall preserve his life;
since he has turned away from all the sins that he committed,
he shall surely live, he shall not die.
If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed,
if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just,
he shall surely live, he shall not die.
None of the crimes he committed shall be remembered against him;
he shall live because of the virtue he has practiced.
Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked?
says the Lord GOD.
Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way
that he may live?
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.
You say, “The LORD’s way is not fair!”
Hear now, house of Israel:
Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?
When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies,
it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.
But if the wicked, turning from the wickedness he has committed,
does what is right and just,
he shall preserve his life;
since he has turned away from all the sins that he committed,
he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Responsorial Psalm PS 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-7A, 7BC-8
R. (3) If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to my voice in supplication.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
LORD, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
that you may be revered.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
My soul waits for the LORD
more than sentinels wait for the dawn.
Let Israel wait for the LORD.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
For with the LORD is kindness
and with him is plenteous redemption;
And he will redeem Israel
from all their iniquities.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to my voice in supplication.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
LORD, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
that you may be revered.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
My soul waits for the LORD
more than sentinels wait for the dawn.
Let Israel wait for the LORD.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
For with the LORD is kindness
and with him is plenteous redemption;
And he will redeem Israel
from all their iniquities.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
Gospel MT
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.”
“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.”
Meditation: Do not be angry, be reconciled
Do you allow sin or anger to master your life? The first person
to hate his brother was Cain. God warned Cain: 'Why are you angry?
..Sin in couching at the door; it's desire is for you, but you must master it (Genesis
4:6-7). Sin doesn't just happen; it first grows as a seed in one's heart.
Unless it is mastered, by God's grace, it grows like a weed and chokes the life
out of us. Jesus addressed the issue of keeping the commandments with his
disciples. The scribes and Pharisees equated righteousness with satisfying the
demands of the law. Jesus showed them how short they had come. Jesus points to
the heart as the seat of desire, choice, and intention. Unless forbidden and
evil desires are uprooted and cut-out, the heart will be poisoned and the body
become a slave to sin and passion. Jesus illustrates his point with the example
of the commandment to not kill. Murder first starts in the heart as the seed of
forbidden anger that grows within until it springs into words and actions
against one's brother or neighbor. This is a selfish anger that broods and is
long-lived, that nurses a grudge and keeps wrath warm, and that refuses to die.
Anger in the heart as well as anger in speech or action are equally forbidden.
The Lord Jesus commands by grace - take away the anger in your heart and there
will be no murder.
What is the antidote for overcoming anger and rage? Mercy,
forbearance, and kindness spring from a heart full of love and forgiveness. God
has forgiven us and he calls us to extend mercy and forgiveness towards those
who cause us grief or harm. In the cross of Jesus we see the supreme example of
love and the power for overcoming evil. Only God's love and grace can set our
hearts and minds free from the tyranny of wounded pride and spiteful revenge.
Do you harbor any anger towards another person? And are you quick to be
reconciled when a rupture has been caused in your relationships? Ask God to set
you free and to fill your heart and mind with his love and truth.
Eusebius, a 3rd century church father, offered the following
prayer as instruction for his fellow Christians:
"May I be no man's enemy, and may I be the friend of that
which is eternal and abides. May I never quarrel with those nearest me: and if
I do, may I be reconciled quickly. May I love, seek, and attain only that which
is good. May I wish for all men's happiness and envy none. May I never rejoice
in the ill-fortune of one who has wronged me. When I have done or said what is
wrong, may I never wait for the rebuke of others, but always rebuke myself
until I make amends. May I win no victory that harms either me or my opponent.
May I reconcile friends who are angry with one another. May I never fail a
friend who is in danger. When visiting those in grief may I be able by gentle
and healing words to soften their pain. May I respect myself. May I always keep
tame that which rages within me. May I accustom myself to be gentle, and never
be angry with people because of circumstances. May I never discuss who is wicked
and what wicked things he has done, but know good men and follow in their
footsteps."
Do you seek to live peaceably and charitably with all?
"Lord Jesus, my heart is cold. Make it warm, compassionate,
and forgiving towards all, even those who do me harm. May I only think and say
what is pleasing to you and be of kind service to all I meet."
 Holiness and Personal Integrity |
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Friday of the First Week of Lent
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Matthew 5:20-26
"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 with him. 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."
Introductory Prayer: Lord
Jesus, thank you for this time I can now spend with you. You constantly fill
my life with so many blessings. How ungrateful I am at times! I wish to
collaborate more perfectly in establishing your Kingdom on earth. I love you
Lord, and with the help of your grace I will strive to become someone to whom
any soul can come in order to discover your truth, your life, your love. Take
my life, take this day and make it yours. Amen.
Petition: Father, help me to
shun hypocrisy and seek true holiness.
1. Beware of Subjective Impressions: How much
righteousness would it take to surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees? Not
much, we suspect. Theirs was holiness in appearance only, which is to say no
holiness. And what would one discover on the “inside” of such a soul? Plenty
of self-deception; plenty of self-indulgent complacency in a subjective
impression of holiness; a repugnant holier-than-thou demeanor. It’s easy
enough for us to read the Gospel and wrinkle our noses at those bad ol’
Pharisees. In fact, it’s about as easy as telling ourselves that we could
never come under the spell of our own subjective impression of holiness. That
is why we must always be ready to examine ourselves, before Christ and with
an acute awareness of our misery and limitations. Do I live my life engaged
in a genuine pursuit of holiness or in a genuine pursuit of my own vanity and
self-glorification?
2. Holiness is Incompatible with
Pride: Pride and personal holiness mix about as well as oil and
water. Where our ego is, little if any room is left for God. What does it
mean to be a disciple of Christ but to be someone who fills himself totally
with God in order to bring him within the reach of everyone. But what union,
grace or friendship with God can there be in a proud soul? What fervor, what
degree of holiness? There is no possible compromise between God and a proud
soul – either the soul would have to let go of itself, or God would have to
stop being God.
3. Holiness and Integrity: At the
heart of genuine holiness is the virtue of integrity, a virtue rich in
nuances and meaning. Integrity means being a person with only one face, a
person who is the same on the inside and on the outside: “what you see is
what you get”. Indeed, integrity is foundational for holiness, because it
constitutes the very essence of personal honesty and sincerity, which are
fundamental for the moral life and the seedbeds for a host of other virtues.
In our pursuit of holiness, we should never tolerate duplicity of any kind in
our behavior. We should avoid like the plague the least hint of ambivalence
in our motivations, or incongruity between our thoughts, judgments, choices
and actions. There can be no holiness without integrity. In fact, there can
be no genuine human happiness unless it lies on the bedrock virtue of
integrity.
Conversation with Christ: Lord
Jesus, I want you to be the meaning and center of my entire life. Let me
disappear and you appear more and more in my life so that, with a holiness
that is genuine, humble and true, I will always be an instrument for the
salvation of all people. Amen.
Resolution: I will
take a hard look at my life to identify the areas where duplicity manifests
itself and take a concrete step toward living with more integrity.
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FRIDAY, MARCH 14, MATTHEW 5:43-48
Lenten Weekday, Day of Abstinence
(Ezekiel 18:21-28; Psalm 130)
Lenten Weekday, Day of Abstinence
(Ezekiel 18:21-28; Psalm 130)
KEY VERSE: "Leave your gift at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift" (v 24).
READING: Jesus told his disciples that their holiness must surpass that of the religious leaders who outwardly observed the minute details of the law but inwardly were not submitted to God's will. As their teacher, Jesus' authority was greater than that of Moses. Jesus deepened the literal meaning of the Law of Moses. He condemned the act of murder, but also the anger that brought about the deed. He said that anger was a serious transgression when it bore malice toward another. It also was an offense against God, in whose image we are created. Anyone who offended another person must first go and be reconciled with that individual before coming to worship God. Without this willingness to change one's heart, punishment, rather than salvation, would be the reward.
REFLECTING: How have my words and actions offended others?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to be reconciled with my brothers and sisters.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Debilitating Guilt
A sure sign of God’s growing life in us is experiencing our sin
without the isolating and debilitating guilt that can wind up turning us away
from God.
If you, O Lord, laid bare our
guilt, who could endure it?
‘Leave your offering, and go and be reconciled.’That Jesus urges us so insistently to be reconciled with each other shows that he knows the difficulty we have in forgiving and seeking forgiveness. These processes demand that we accept ourselves and others without any delusion and without hesitation. To be reconciled with others we need first to be reconciled with ourselves; and neither can be done without the power of God working within us. Relying on that power, and on that alone, as it works in ourselves and in others, we know that we can forgive and be forgiven, that we can be reconciled. Create a new heart in me, O Jesus, by your Spirit. Help me to give and to love giving and forgiving.
March
14
St. Maximilian
(d. 295)
St. Maximilian
(d. 295)
e have an early, precious, almost unembellished account of the
martyrdom of St. Maximilian in modern-day Algeria.
Brought
before the proconsul Dion, Maximilian refused enlistment in the Roman army
saying, "I cannot serve, I cannot do evil. I am a Christian."
Dion
replied: "You must serve or die."
Maximilian:
"I will never serve. You can cut off my head, but I will not be a soldier
of this world, for I am a soldier of Christ. My army is the army of God, and I
cannot fight for this world. I tell you I am a Christian."
Dion:
"There are Christian soldiers serving our rulers Diocletian and Maximian,
Constantius and Galerius."
Maximilian:
"That is their business. I also am a Christian, and I cannot serve."
Dion:
"But what harm do soldiers do?"
Maximilian:
"You know well enough."
Dion:
"If you will not do your service I shall condemn you to death for contempt
of the army."
Maximilian:
"I shall not die. If I go from this earth, my soul will live with Christ
my Lord."
Maximilian
was 21 years old when he gladly offered his life to God. His father went home
from the execution site joyful, thanking God that he had been able to offer
heaven such a gift.
LECTIO DIVINA:
MATTHEW 5,20-26
Lectio:
Friday, March 14, 2014
Lent Time
1)
OPENING PRAYER
God of mercy and compassion,
you challenge us to be responsible
for the good and the evil we do
and you call us to conversion.
God, help us to face ourselves
that we may not use flimsy excuses
for covering up our wrongs.
Make us honest with ourselves,
and aware that we can always count on Jesus Christ
to be our guide and strength on the road to you,
now and for ever.
you challenge us to be responsible
for the good and the evil we do
and you call us to conversion.
God, help us to face ourselves
that we may not use flimsy excuses
for covering up our wrongs.
Make us honest with ourselves,
and aware that we can always count on Jesus Christ
to be our guide and strength on the road to you,
now and for ever.
2)
GOSPEL READING - MATTHEW 5, 20-26
'For I tell you, if your uprightness does not surpass that of
the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of Heaven.
'You have heard how it was said to our ancestors, You shall not
kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say
this to you, anyone who is angry with a brother will answer for it before the
court; anyone who calls a brother "Fool" will answer for it before
the Sanhedrin; and anyone who calls him "Traitor" will answer for it
in hell fire.
So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and
there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering
there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then
come back and present your offering.
Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are
still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge
and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. In truth I
tell you, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.
3)
REFLECTION
• The text of today’s Gospel forms part of a broader or more
extensive whole: Mt 5, 20 up to Mt 5, 48. In these passages Matthew tells us
how Jesus interprets and explains the Law of God. Five times he repeats the
phrase: “You have heard how it was said to our ancestors, in truth I tell you!”
(Mt 5, 21. 27. 33.38. 43). Before, he had said: “Do not imagine that I have
come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; no, I have come not to abolish, but to
complete them” (Mt 5, 17). The attitude of Jesus before the Law is, at the same
time, one of breaking and of continuity. He breaks away from the erroneous
interpretations, but maintains firm the objective which the Law should attain:
the practice of a greater justice, which is Love.
• Matthew 5, 20: An uprightness which surpasses that of the
Pharisees. This first verse presents the general key of everything which
follows in Matthew 5, 20-48. The word Justice never appears in the Gospel of
Mark, and it appears seven times in that of Matthew (Mt 3, 15; 5, 6.10.20; 6, 1.33;
21, 32). This has something to do with the situation of the communities for
which Mark wrote. The religious ideal of the Jews of the time was “to be just
before God”. The Pharisees taught: “Persons attain justice before God when they
succeed to observe all the norms of the law in all its details!” This teaching
generated a legalistic oppression and caused great anguish in persons, because
it was very difficult to be able to observe all the norms (cfr. Rm 7, 21-24).
This is why Matthew takes the words of Jesus on justice to show that it has to
surpass the justice of the Pharisees (Mt, 5, 20). According to Jesus, justice
does not come from what I do for God observing the law, but rather from what
God does for me, accepting me as his son, as his daughter. The new ideal which
Jesus proposes is the following: “Therefore, be perfect as perfect is your
Heavenly Father!” (Mt 5, 48). That means: You will be just before God when you
try to accept and forgive persons as God accepts and pardons me, in spite of my
defects and sins.
• By means of these five very concrete examples, Jesus shows us
what to do in order to attain this greater justice which surpasses the justice
of the Scribes and the Pharisees. As we can see, today’s Gospel takes the
example of the new interpretation of the fifth commandment: You shall not kill!
Jesus has revealed what God wanted when he gave this commandment to Moses.
• Matthew 5, 21-22: The law says: You shall not kill!” (Ex 20,
13). In order to observe fully this commandment it is not sufficient to avoid
murdering. It is necessary to uproot from within everything which, in one way
or another, can lead to murder, for example, anger, hatred, the desire to
revenge, insult, and exploitation, etc.
• Matthew 5, 23-24. The perfect worship which God wants. In
order to be accepted by God and to remain united to him, it is necessary to
reconcile oneself with the brother, the sister. Before the destruction of the
Temple, in the year 70, when the Christian Jews participated in the pilgrimages
in Jerusalem to present their offerings at the altar and to pay their promises,
they always remembered this phrase of Jesus. In the year 80, at the time when
Matthew wrote, the Temple and the Altar no longer existed. They had been
destroyed by the Romans. The community and the communitarian celebration became
the Temple and the Altar of God.
• Matthew 5, 25-26: To reconcile oneself. One of the points on
which the Gospel of Matthew exists the most is reconciliation. That indicates
that in the communities of that time, there were many tensions among the
radical groups with diverse tendencies and sometimes even opposed ones. Nobody
wanted to cede before the other. There was no dialogue. Matthew enlightens this
situation with the words of Jesus on reconciliation which request acceptance
and understanding. Because the only sin that God does not forgive is our lack
of pardon toward others (Mt 6, 14). That is why, try to reconcile yourself
before it is too late!
4)
PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• Today there are many persons who cry out “Justice!” What
meaning does evangelical justice have for me?
• How do I behave before those who do not accept me as I am? How
did Jesus behave before those who did not accept him?
5)
CONCLUDING PRAYER
From the depths I call to you, Yahweh:
Lord, hear my cry.
Listen attentively to the sound of my pleading! (Ps 130,1-2)
Lord, hear my cry.
Listen attentively to the sound of my pleading! (Ps 130,1-2)
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