Friday - March 06, 2020
TODAY'S READINGS
March 06 2020
Friday of the First Week of Lent
Lectionary: 228
Reading 1EZ 18:21-28
Thus says the Lord GOD:
If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed,
if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just,
he shall surely live, he shall not die.
None of the crimes he committed shall be remembered against him;
he shall live because of the virtue he has practiced.
Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked?
says the Lord GOD.
Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way
that he may live?
If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed,
if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just,
he shall surely live, he shall not die.
None of the crimes he committed shall be remembered against him;
he shall live because of the virtue he has practiced.
Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked?
says the Lord GOD.
Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way
that he may live?
And if the virtuous man turns from the path of virtue to do evil,
the same kind of abominable things that the wicked man does,
can he do this and still live?
None of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered,
because he has broken faith and committed sin;
because of this, he shall die.
You say, “The LORD’s way is not fair!”
Hear now, house of Israel:
Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?
When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies,
it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.
But if the wicked, turning from the wickedness he has committed,
does what is right and just,
he shall preserve his life;
since he has turned away from all the sins that he committed,
he shall surely live, he shall not die.
the same kind of abominable things that the wicked man does,
can he do this and still live?
None of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered,
because he has broken faith and committed sin;
because of this, he shall die.
You say, “The LORD’s way is not fair!”
Hear now, house of Israel:
Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?
When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies,
it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.
But if the wicked, turning from the wickedness he has committed,
does what is right and just,
he shall preserve his life;
since he has turned away from all the sins that he committed,
he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Responsorial Psalm130:1-2, 3-4, 5-7A, 7BC-8
R. (3) If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to my voice in supplication.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
LORD, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
that you may be revered.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
My soul waits for the LORD
more than sentinels wait for the dawn.
Let Israel wait for the LORD.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
For with the LORD is kindness
and with him is plenteous redemption;
And he will redeem Israel
from all their iniquities.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to my voice in supplication.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
LORD, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
that you may be revered.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
My soul waits for the LORD
more than sentinels wait for the dawn.
Let Israel wait for the LORD.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
For with the LORD is kindness
and with him is plenteous redemption;
And he will redeem Israel
from all their iniquities.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
Verse Before The GospelEZ 18:31
Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the LORD,
and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
GospelMT 5:20-26
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.
“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.
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.”
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.
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.”
******************************
How strongly do you want to grow in the Spirit?
The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5, 6, and 7) is a seminar on how to reach our full potential. Near the beginning of the program, which is our Gospel reading for today, Jesus gives an example of how to turn a literal interpretation of the law into a faith that's fully alive.
The message is this: A fully alive Christian takes the harder but more loving approach. Mediocre people take the lazy, comfortable route and don't accomplish anything of lasting value.
Jesus makes this point by addressing the sin of anger. He describes the increasingly destructive effect it has on the angry person's soul. At first, anger in the heart results in "judgment," represented by the Jewish local court where the easiest of punishments were meted out.
Then, Jesus names one of the initial ways that anger kills: To shout "raqa" at someone is to call them a nitwit or imbecile. It destroys their self-esteem. It belittles them. The abuser -- yes, name-calling is abuse -- must now face a trial before the Sanhedrin, the highest judicial body.
Next, Jesus warns that calling someone a fool is even worse. No longer an "imbecile," the person under attack is "worthless" (the direct meaning of the Greek word). The listeners understood that this word was filled with contempt. To hate someone so much as to see no value in them (for example, seeing unwanted pregnancies as burdens to get rid of rather than as precious humans) is to condemn oneself to Gehenna. Gehenna was a name given to a nearby valley where followers of a pagan cult killed children by fire. Jews used the name to illustrate the concept of punishment by fire; today we call it "hell."
The rest of this scripture passage is God's remedy for anger. In essence, Jesus says: Go and do whatever is necessary to be reconciled with the one who's made you angry. This, he points out, is even more important than worshiping God. How genuine can our worship be if anger has replaced love in our hearts, since God is love?
We all have people in our lives whose behavior angers us. Righteous anger includes forgiveness; sinful anger wants vengeance. If we're walking down the aisle in Mass to receive Communion while refusing to love anyone, how can we love the Christ who's in the Eucharist, who has united himself to the community (that's what "communion" means) including that person who makes you feel angry? How can we receive love while our hearts are closed to love?
To ignore the need to heal from our anger is to stifle the Holy Spirit within us. We grow in the Spirit and in holiness when we accept the difficult challenge of humbling ourselves so that we can give love to those who don't deserve it.
Today's Prayer
Lord: Forgive me for those moments in which I replied with resentment to the evil I received. Give me the grace to leave the justice to You and to try to always forgive and to pray restlessly for those who are most difficult to love. Amen.
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God Bless You.....
The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day
through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”
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