Catholic Mass Reading & Reflection of the day (3/10/2010)
taken from http://www.rc.net/wcc/readings
Matthew 5:17-19
17 "Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets;
I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. 18 For truly, I say
to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass
from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then relaxes one of
the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least
in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall
be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
comment on this gospel read all Mass readings
Invite your friends to visit this site, click here
Reflection:
Do you view God's law negatively or positively? Jesus'
attitude towards the law of God can be summed up in the great prayer of
Psalm 119: "Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the
day." For the people of Israel the "law" could refer to the ten commandments
or to the five Books of Moses, called the Pentateuch, which explain the
commandments and ordinances of God for his people. The "law" also referred
to the whole teaching or way of life which God gave to his people. The
Jews in Jesus' time also used it as a description of the oral or scribal
law. Needless to say, the scribes added many more things to the law than
God intended. That is why Jesus often condemned the scribal law. It placed
burdens on people which God had not intended. Jesus, however, made it very
clear that the essence of God's law his commandments and way of life,
must be fulfilled.
Jesus taught reverence for God's law reverence for God himself, for
the Lord's Day, reverence or respect for parents, respect for life, for
property, for another person's good name, respect for oneself and for one's
neighbor lest wrong or hurtful desires master us. Reverence and respect
for God's commandments teach us the way of love love of God and love
of neighbor. What is impossible to men and women is possible to God and
those who put their faith and trust in God. Through the gift of the Holy
Spirit the Lord transforms us and makes us like himself. We are a new creation
in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) because "God's love has been poured into
our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Romans
5:5). God gives us the grace to love as he loves, to forgive as he forgives,
to think as he thinks, and to act as he acts. The Lord loves justice and
goodness and he hates every form of wickedness and sin. He wants to set
us free from our unruly desires and sinful habits, so that we can choose
to live each day in the peace, joy, and righteousness of his Holy Spirit
(Romans 14: 17). To renounce sin is to turn away from what is harmful and
destructive for our minds and hearts, and our very lives. As his followers
we must love and respect his commandments and hate every form of sin. Do
you love and revere the commands of the Lord?
"Lord Jesus, grant this day, to direct and sanctify, to rule and govern
our hearts and bodies, so that all our thoughts, words and deeds may be
according to your Father's law and thus may we be saved and protected through
your mighty help."
|