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?
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.
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
Psalm130:1-2, 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?
Verse Before
The GospelEZ 18:31
Cast away from you all the crimes
you have committed, says the LORD,
and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
GospelMT 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.
“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.”
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.
Do
not allow the seed of anger and evil to grow in your heart
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 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.
Only
God's purifying love and mercy can free us from bitterness and anger
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.
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."
A
Daily Quote for Lent: Are
you ashamed to ask pardon? by Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"How
many there are who know that they have sinned against their brothers or sisters
and yet are unwilling to say: 'Forgive me.' They were not ashamed to sin, but
they are ashamed to ask pardon. They were not ashamed of their evil act, but
they blush where humility is concerned." (excerpt from Sermon
211,4)
FRIDAY,
MARCH 6:MATTHEW 5:20-26
Lenten Weekday, Day of Abstinence
(Ezekiel 18:21-28; Psalm 130)
Lenten Weekday, Day of Abstinence
(Ezekiel 18:21-28; Psalm 130)
KEY VERSE: "I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (v. 20).
TO KNOW: Jesus was a teacher greater than Moses. Jesus told his disciples that their holiness must exceed the virtues of the religious leaders. He expanded and deepened the literal meaning of the Mosaic Law. Godliness must surpass mere external observances; it must penetrate the heart. Obeying the Law by practicing justice, and showing compassion toward the poor, constituted the ideal for virtuous living. Jesus invited his disciples to move beyond "an eye for an eye" (Mt 5:38) by seeking vengeance. He asked, can you love your enemy? Can you let go of bitterness, hatred and vicious thoughts, and give back understanding, forgiveness and healing? Without a willingness to have one's heart changed, salvation cannot be experienced.
TO LOVE: Have I made plans to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to confess my sins and amend my life.
NOTE: "Fridays
during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence,” says the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are
binding upon members of the Catholic Church from age 14 onward.
WORLD DAY
OF PRAYER
First Friday in March
World Day of prayer is a worldwide ecumenical movement of Christian women who come together in prayer on the first Friday of March in more than 170 countries and regions of various races, cultures and traditions. Through the World Day of Prayer, women affirm that prayer and action are inseparable and that both have immeasurable influence in the world. Women around the world are encouraged:
* to become aware of the whole world and no longer live in isolation
* to be enriched by the faith experience of Christians of other countries and cultures
* to take up the burdens of other people and pray with and for them
* to become aware of their talents and use them in the service of society.
Friday 6 March 2020
Ezekiel
18:21-28. If you, O Lord, laid bare our guilt, who could endure
it? – Psalm 129(130). Matthew 5:20-26.
Anyone who
is angry with his brother will answer for it
Genuine reconciliation asks
for compassion, humility and honesty. To live well and not simply abide by
rules to avoid punishment means to come to God with a ‘clean heart’.
Every aspect of who we are
and how we treat others matters. We are called to be reconciled with ‘brother
and sister’. Angst in our daily life rarely leads to criminal acts; more
familiar is the resentment and hurt that simmers, disagreements that can lead
to division within families, amongst friends, colleagues and others we
encounter. We might be quick to judge, to dismiss and discount. How difficult
it can be to show humility, to make an effort to understand another’s
viewpoint, or to make amends! It takes a conscious decision to say sorry, or to
let go of our anger towards others.
May we be ready for respond
to Jesus’ call to reconciliation!
Saint Mary
Ann of Jesus of Paredes
Saint of
the Day for March 6
(October
31, 1618 – May 26, 1645)
 |
| Print of the Ecuatorian Saint Mary Ann of Jesus | photo by Jojagal |
Saint Mary
Ann of Jesus of Paredes’ Story
Mary Ann grew close to God
and his people during her short life.
The youngest of eight, Mary
Ann was born in Quito, Ecuador, which had been brought under Spanish control in
1534. She joined the Secular Franciscans and led a life of prayer and penance
at home, leaving her parents’ house only to go to church and to perform some
work of charity. She established in Quito a clinic and a school for Africans
and indigenous Americans. When a plague broke out, she nursed the sick and died
shortly thereafter.
She was canonized by Pope
Pius XII in 1950.
Reflection
Francis of Assisi overcame
himself and his upbringing when he kissed the man afflicted with leprosy. If
our self-denial does not lead to charity, the penance is being practiced for
the wrong reason. The penances of Mary Ann made her more sensitive to the needs
of others and more courageous in trying to serve those needs.
Lectio
Divina: Matthew 5,20-26
Lectio Divina
Friday, March 6, 2020
Season
of Lent
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.
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.
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
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."
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: people
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 the people 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 in
observing the law, but rather from what God does for me, accepting me as His
son or as His daughter. The new ideal which Jesus proposes is the following:
therefore, be perfect as is your Heavenly Father! (Mt 5:48). That means: you
will be just before God when you try to accept and forgive people 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 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 brother and 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 opposing ones. Nobody wanted to cede to the other. There was no
dialogue. Matthew enlightens this situation with the words of Jesus on
reconciliation which demands acceptance and understanding. The only sin that
God does not forgive is our lack of pardon toward others (Mt 6:14). That is why
one should try to reconcile yourself before it is too late!
4)
PERSONAL QUESTIONS
Today there are many people
who cry out for 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?
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)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét