Daily Gospel Reflection
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June 11, 2020
Jesus said to his disciples: “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire.
“So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.
“Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.”
Today’s Gospel is one in which we are made painfully aware of the difficulty of following in Jesus’s footsteps.
As he often does, Jesus raises the bar for his followers. It is no longer enough to refrain from killing. Now insults or even anger can be cause for judgment.
It’s a standard that seems almost impossible to meet. Whenever I reread it, I’m tempted to get a bit indignant, and I imagine I’m not alone. “But Jesus,” I think, “you can’t possibly understand how rude she was, or the terrible things he said.”
But the thing is, all of my excuses and justifications for anger seem empty in the face of the example that Jesus himself sets for us after speaking these words. When he had all the reason in the world to be angry, Jesus bore unimaginable suffering with only patience and love.
This Gospel makes it clear that we are to follow the example of patient love that Jesus set for us on the cross. And while it’s a difficult path to walk, the glorious truth is that we don’t have to do it on our own. Jesus is always there to strengthen us and to offer his love and mercy when we fall short. All that is asked of us is to receive this love and reflect it back on the world.
It’s a simple but radical way to live.
Prayer
Lord, as we get older, we realize more and more the truth that anger exacts a high price. Anger that stews and ferments, day after day, is a prison of our own making. So please help us in a special way today. Grant us the grace of reconciliation where it’s needed. Or maybe we need to go a step back, and ask for the grace to desire to be reconciled. Either way, we yearn to be free from the angry prison in which we’ve placed ourselves—help us grow towards your kingdom. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Barnabas is most known for being the traveling companion of St. Paul in his journeys to establish Christian communities among people who were not Jewish.
Barnabas was not one of the 12 disciples, but he is known as an apostle because he worked so closely with the disciples. His name was Joseph, but the disciples changed it to Barnabas, which St. Luke defines as “man of encouragement.”
The Acts of the Apostles describe the early followers of Jesus living together and holding everything in common. Many sold their possessions and offered the proceeds to the disciples and to the Christian community. Barnabas is singled out for his contribution from the sale of his estate (Acts 4:36).
When Paul came to Jerusalem after his conversion, many were skeptical of his change of heart. Barnabas spoke for Paul and helped the community welcome him. It was Barnabas who introduced Paul to the other disciples.
The disciples established a Christian community in Antioch, and wanted someone from Jerusalem to help the new converts there—they chose Barnabas. He continued to win converts by his preaching, and found himself needing help. Paul came and spent a year in Antioch, growing the community there. It was in Antioch that people first started calling followers of Jesus “Christians.”
The Church in Antioch grew and flourished. When Jerusalem and Palestine fell into famine during a drought, the Christians in Antioch raised money to support people in Jerusalem, and they entrusted it to Paul and Barnabas to be delivered. The two continued traveling after that, preaching the Gospel and establishing new communities. Finding that the Jews did not welcome their message, they devoted their efforts to converting Gentiles.
After their journey, Paul and Barnabas parted ways after a dispute, and not much else is known of Barnabas—he may have been stoned and martyred in Salamis. His relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Barnabas, you were the apostle who established Christian communities in your travels with Paul—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Barnabas is in the public domain. Last accessed February 13, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
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