Daily Gospel Reflection
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June 13, 2024
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 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.”
About nine years ago, while on a retreat, I was blessed to speak with a kind and clever priest about some then-serious professional challenges. Father asked me for my reading glasses and then put them on, explaining that God looks at us and the world through different lenses than we do.
For example, how would God view and value my professional success and reputation compared to me fully fulfilling my vocations and responsibilities as a Catholic, son, brother, husband, father (now grandfather), and friend?
Father handed me back my glasses and asked me to put them on and keep them on with this new perspective and focus. Right away, my real and significant professional concerns lightened a bit, and keeping Father’s words in mind over the next few difficult months assisted with resolving the issues as quickly and well as possible.
What then is the righteousness that Jesus asks of his disciples, including us?
It may be as simple as respecting, listening to, and offering healing to those with different views from us rather than labeling them or just trying to win the argument over them. Perhaps, really and always putting our spouses and families ahead of ourselves because we recognize and are thankful that God chose us before we responded to Christ’s call to be his salt and light.
St. Anthony, please ensure we always retain the proper lenses for our lives.
Prayer
Lord, you know all too well that it is so easy for us to hold on to resentments, to live with anger even at the slightest of offenses. Help us to forgive and reconcile with each other, so that we may come to know and accept your mercy in our lives and extend that same mercy to others. Amen.