In other regions on this date the Solemnity
of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ is celebrated.
 |
| “Last Judgment” by Raphael Coxcie, ~1570 |
Reading 1 2 Corinthians 3:15—4:1, 3-6
Brothers and sisters:
To this day, whenever
Moses is read,
a veil lies over the
hearts of the children of Israel,
but whenever a person
turns to the Lord the veil is removed.
Now the Lord is the
Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is freedom.
All of us, gazing with
unveiled face on the glory of the Lord,
are being transformed
into the same image from glory to glory,
as from the Lord who is
the Spirit.
Therefore, since we have
this ministry through the mercy shown us,
we are not discouraged.
And even though our
Gospel is veiled,
it is veiled for those
who are perishing,
in whose case the god of
this age
has blinded the minds of
the unbelievers,
so that they may not see
the light of the Gospel
of the glory of Christ,
who is the image of God.
For we do not preach
ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord,
and ourselves as your
slaves for the sake of Jesus.
For God who said, Let
light shine out of darkness,
has shone in our hearts
to bring to light
the knowledge of the
glory of God
on the face of Jesus
Christ.
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Commentary on 2 Cor 3:15—4:1, 3-6
St. Paul continues his apologetic to the Christian converts in
Corinth who were being attacked by the unconverted Jewish population who were
still struggling with the Christian doctrine. Here he makes reference to the
veil placed between the Torah and the people. The book is just words but the
Holy Spirit of God transforms the words into actions which bring glory to God.
Those who cannot understand or come to faith in the Gospel reject it because
they have chosen to do so and that path leads to death (of the soul).
CCC: 2 Cor 3:14-16 1094; 2 Cor 3:17 693, 1741; 2 Cor 4:4 1701; 2 Cor 4:6 298, 2583
CCC: 2 Cor 3:14-16 1094; 2 Cor 3:17 693, 1741; 2 Cor 4:4 1701; 2 Cor 4:6 298, 2583
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Responsorial Psalm Psalm 85:9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14
R. (see 10b) The glory of the Lord
will dwell in our land.
I will hear what God
proclaims;
the Lord–for he
proclaims peace to his people.
Near indeed is his
salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our
land.
R. The glory of the Lord
will dwell in our land.
Kindness and truth shall
meet;
justice and peace shall
kiss.
Truth shall spring out
of the earth,
and justice shall look
down from heaven.
R. The glory of the Lord
will dwell in our land.
The Lord himself will
give his benefits;
our land shall yield its
increase.
Justice shall walk
before him,
and salvation, along the
way of his steps.
R. The glory of the Lord
will dwell in our land.
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Commentary on Ps 85:9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14
Psalm 85 is a communal lament that
focuses on the woes of the nation. These strophes reflect the joy of salvation
at the restoration of the land following the destruction of the temple and the
Diaspora. Those faithful to God see the reward: a land restored, justice
returned, and the salvation of God. When used in the context of the Advent
season, the theme of preparation for a time of peace is announced. It is a
clear tie to the herald of the Messiah, echoing Isaiah’s oracle (Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11).
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Gospel Matthew 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.
“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.”
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Commentary on Mt 5:20-26
This passage is the first of six
examples in St. Matthew’s Gospel of conduct demanded of the Christian disciple.
The first three, including this one, take a commandment of Mosaic Law and
deepen the meaning. Here the Lord takes the commandment: “You shall not kill”
(quoted from Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17) to a new
level. He traces the logic from thought, to vulgar or abusive words, to violent
action. In this translation, the Greek word "Raqa" is used to
indicate deep insult. Where the Jewish Law forbids the action, Christian law
forbids the antecedents as well. The passage continues with the remedy for this
action, and a foundation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. He instructs us
to be reconciled with a person with whom we have bad feelings, before coming to
the altar. The consequences of failing to do so, he warns, are judgment and
punishment.
CCC: Mt 5:20 2054; Mt
5:21-22 2054,
2257; Mt 5:21 2262,
2302; Mt 5:22-39 2262; Mt
5:22 678,
1034, 2302; Mt 5:23-24 2608,
2792, 2841, 2845; Mt 5:24 1424
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Reflection:
It has been a couple of
months since the great celebration of Easter and therefore even longer since
the intense introspection of the Lenten Season. Today we are reminded
that it is not just our actions that identify us to others but our attitudes as
well.
We suppose that, unless
we were perfect as Christ is perfect, there will always be an upwelling of
anger as the events of our lives unfold. Actually, when we become aware
of how and how often these feelings are provoked, we come to appreciate how serene
the Kingdom of Heaven must be. But what do we do
about the here and now?
Even though we do our
very best to remain outwardly calm in the face of provocative acts there will
be times when our actions betray us; when we speak words in anger, directed at
either another person or even a thing. At these times we must take
ourselves firmly in hand and make sure we do not go any further. We must
immediately run back to the Father for forgiveness. That does not mean we
have to get to Confession that day. But it does mean that our prayer must
include a request for forgiveness.
The real damage to us
comes when we do not recognize that this attitude of anger is not going
away. Anger of this sort, frequently a result of deep hurt caused by
someone close to us, can fester like a cancer; it destroys the peace of Christ
which should be something we bask in. It colors our actions and
attitudes. It is this anger, especially, we need to reconcile and expose
in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is also frequently something we
might be embarrassed to bring forward. We must remember that our Lord
sees our deepest secrets and hurts. We take it to the confessional so
that we can be reassured of God’s love and feel the peace that comes from that
healing sacrament.
Is it time for a deep
dive into a perfect act of contrition? Let us make sure, today, that we
do not foster the anger that keeps us from Christ but enter confidently into
his loving embrace.
Pax
[1]
The picture is
[3]
The readings are taken
from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response
which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy
(ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private
use only.
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