“Whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment…” — Matthew 5:22

       Most people who know me or read my blog and Didache reflections probably think that I have it “all together.” Some have even reached out to me via email or Facebook, saying they are inspired by my testimonies.

       The painful truth, though, is that I don’t have it all together. Most days, I’m the least inspiring person I know. (Go ahead and ask my husband and kids!) Anger is one of the things I have been struggling with for some time now. I tend to lose my temper a lot, especially with my children, and I always worry if my hurtful words and actions will leave them damaged or broken for life!

       Thankfully, God always reminds me to seek forgiveness whenever I fly off the handle, and do my best to repair the wrong I’ve done. He also uses Scripture, like the verses in today’s Gospel reading, to convict me of my sin, and to call me to repentance. I pray that He will judge me worthy to enter heaven when the time comes, even with all my imperfections.

Lord, whenever I am angry, help me to be calm and even-headed. Defuse my temper so that I will speak and act only with kindness and compassion.

St. Ephrem, deacon and doctor of the Church, pray for us.

The drought ends when the people return to the Lord. Let us change our image of God as one who punishes us for our sins. When we sin, the consequence is moral suffering. God intervenes in the ways of the weather, but cases like this one is rare indeed.

41 Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink, while Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, crouched down to the earth, and put his head between his knees. 43 “Climb up and look out to sea,” he  directed his servant, who went up and looked, but reported, “There is nothing.” Seven times he said, “Go look again!” 44 And the seventh time the youth reported, “There is a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from the sea.” Elijah said, “Go and say to Ahab, ‘Harness up and leave the mountain before the rain stops you.’ ” 45 In a trice, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and a heavy rain fell. Ahab mounted his chariot and made for Jezreel. 46 But the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, who girded up his clothing and ran before Ahab as far as the approaches to Jezreel.

Psalm 65:10, 11, 12-13

R: It is right to praise you in Zion, O God.

9 [10] You have visited the land and watered it; greatly have you enriched it. God’s watercourses are filled; you have prepared the grain. (R) 10 [11] Thus have you prepared the land: drenching its furrows, breaking up its clods, softening it with showers, blessing its yield. (R) 11 [12] You have crowned the year with your bounty, and your paths overflow with a rich harvest. 12 [13] The untilled meadows overflow with it, and rejoicing clothes the hills. (R)

Jesus shifts the focus of the law from things to people. He demands that we focus our time and effort on our relationships. People matter more than laws on ritual purity. Let us prioritize our relationships with one another over baseless rituals.

I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you.

20 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. 21 You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. 22 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. 23 Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, 24 leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 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. 26 Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”

Thank You Lord for: __________________

JESUS: THE NEW LAWGIVER,

THE NEW STANDARD

The opening statement of our Gospel passage today, which is the next installment in the Sermon on the Mount series, is truly remarkable. It’s as if Jesus is setting a standard or benchmark concerning our holiness. We cannot at all remain at just keeping the Ten Commandments. Nor can we just be satisfied with a legalistic minimalism.

       The challenge is in the very words of Jesus. His new standards now are the basis for our very entrance into heaven — let’s not forget that! He Himself is the new standard. Beyond what is stipulated in the Old Law (“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors...”), Jesus Christ is now the New Moses (“But I say to you...”). An innovative radicality is what Jesus both brings to us and demands of us. If ever we fall short of these new standards, there are dire consequences. “You will not be released until you have paid the last penny,” as the last verse puts it. The very minimalism which we are supposed to scorn will now be applied to us to the full extent — and that would be terribly ironic.

    But more than looking at the entire thing as though they were technicalities and threats from our Lord, we can only focus on Him as the new and radical lawgiver. He never promulgates the law as if He were a cruel, heartless judge. He also never assumes the role of a policeman who will guard our every move to arrest us when we break the law. No, He is simply the all-powerful God, our Lord and Savior, who liberates us from a nominal practice of our faith and empowers us. Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB

REFLECTION QUESTION: What motivates you to follow God’s commandments — is it fear of His judgment or is it love for Him?

Your commandments give me life, Lord. Teach me to always obey them for love of You. Amen.