Daily Gospel Reflection
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March 15, 2023
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”
This is a tricky passage to wrap our heads around when looked at in isolation. It’s much more accessible when we consider it part of a whole. At the beginning of Matthew 5 is the Beatitudes, then Jesus tells us to shine, not hide, our light before others to glorify God, and then finally, this teaching on the fulfillment of the law.
What Jesus is fulfilling, therefore, are the original laws and commandments set down by Moses. And he fulfills them through what is talked about in previous verses—through the beatitudes and by letting our Christian faith shine the light of God for others. But that’s not all.
Jesus is saying that now it’s our turn; Jesus has given us all the necessary tools. He is the fulfillment of the old laws, and we are now called to fulfill his teachings.
Our role in all this is simple in word but tough in deed. We are to look at all of Christ’s teaching, and we can’t cherry-pick our favorites. We are to look at the old laws and Christ’s fulfillment of them, and we must now take those blueprints and fulfill what Christ set out to do— to turn away from sin, to grow the kingdom of Heaven, to glorify our Father in heaven with our words, faith, and deeds.
Fulfilling the fullness of Christ’s laws is a big task, but big tasks can be broken into smaller steps. Work to attend confession this month. Spend 15 minutes contemplating Christ in the Eucharist. Maybe pray just one decade of the rosary today, or donate $5 to protect life. Focus on doing the little things right, “for whoever practices these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Prayer
God, we long to enter the kingdom of heaven. We know that there, every tear will be wiped away and all will be made joy and light. Help us to follow the law and the prophets and your loving example. You promise us that in doing so we will be with you in the kingdom where you live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Longinus is known as the Roman centurion who stood at the foot of the cross at Jesus’ crucifixion and speared his side with a lance.
The Gospel of John tells of blood and water spilling from Jesus’ body. Matthew and Mark tell us that this soldier was converted when he witnessed Jesus’ death and the earthquake and mid-day darkness that followed, saying, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
In the Gospel accounts, this soldier is unnamed; it is likely that the name Longinus is simply derived from the word for “lance.” The Christian community told stories about the rest of this soldier’s life, but many of the tales are legends, and historically unverifiable. Some accounts have him leaving the life of a soldier and living as a monk. Some tell that he was martyred by Pilate for his confession of Jesus as the Son of God.
Relics of St. Longinus rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, and he is depicted in stained glass in the Basilica in several places. In this window, he receives a vision of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Longinus is on the bottom right side of the window holding a lance, while kneeling with the great saints Francis, Augustine, and Ignatius.
St. Longinus is associated with the Sacred Heart of Jesus because more than any other character in Jesus’ passion, he had the closest physical experience of Jesus’ sacrificial death in love for us all. He became a believer when he pierced Jesus’ heart with his spear and witnessed water and blood flow from it.
Theologians associate the water and blood that flowed from Jesus’ side with the waters of baptism and the blood of Christ we receive in the Eucharist—sacraments that constitute us as a Church. Longinus, therefore, stands as a model for Christians. We, too, seek conversion by encountering the water and blood that flow from Christ—by renewing our baptismal promises and participating in the Eucharist.
St. Longinus, the centurion who was converted when you pierced Jesus’ Sacred Heart—pray for us!