We can do nothing, we say sometimes, we can only pray. That, we feel, is a
terribly precarious second-best. So long as we can fuss and work and rush about, so long as we can lend a hand, we have some hope; but if we have to fall back upon God — ah, then things must be critical indeed!
… A. J. Gossip
(Prayer as foundational . . . What do you need to turn over to God's care?) |
EZ 18:21-28; PS 130:1-2,
3-4, 5-7A, 7BC-8
MT 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.
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."
Reflection on the
Scriptures |
Jesus knows we all carry such baggage and he offers us a solution for getting rid of it. Confront our anger. Reach out to those who have hurt us or whom we have hurt to try to reach some form of reconciliation. If nothing else, develop amnesia when it comes to ancient hurts and slights. If we have been the bully instead of the bullied, it’s never too late to say sorry.
This could be the best Lenten penance we do – even better than passing up a sinfully delicious mint chocolate Dove piece after dinner.
Happy Lent and know that Jesus
understands how hard obeying this command is.
- by Eileen Wirth Revelations of Divine
Love - by Julian of Norwich
Thirteenth Revelation, Chapter 36 “My sin shall
not hinder His Goodness working. . . . A deed shall be done—as we come to Heaven—and it may be known here in part;—though it be truly taken for the general Man, yet it excludeth not the special. For what our good Lord will do by His poor creatures, it is now unknown to me”
OUR Lord God shewed that a deed shall be done, and Himself shall do it, and I shall do nothing but sin, and my sin shall not hinder His Goodness working.
And I saw that the
beholding of this is a heavenly joy in a fearing soul which evermore kindly by grace desireth God’s will. This deed shall be begun here, and it shall be worshipful to God and plenteously profitable to His lovers in earth; and ever as we come to Heaven we shall see it in marvellous joy, and it shall last thus in working unto the last Day; and the worship and the bliss of it shall last in Heaven afore God and all His Holy [ones] for ever.
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