+Today’s readings continues this week’s theme about law and life:
continuing his proclamation regarding the
fulfillment of the Law that is found in himself, Jesus uses his authority to
clarify the true spirit behind the law, without dismissing the original law: he
uses the daring “you have heard that it was said… but, now I say to you…” formulation:
and in the gospel passage he cuts to the chase and says that it’s the lust of
the heart that is even more injurious than a real act of adultery with a woman who
is physically lusted after, without even approaching her.
His
point is that our evil deeds stems first from the heart, and most often the
outward manifestation of our actions are only the symptom of the deeper more
serious sin. This we can ourselves readily apply to any number of ill-generated
revelations of the heart.
The bottom
line is that Jesus is urging us to have pure hearts, singleness of heart,
steadfastness of heart, a persevering heart, and tender heart, a compassionate
heart and a knowing heart. The rest will take care of itself. And how do we get
such a heart, we allow ourselves to receive the gift of the love and grace of
His own Sacred Heart which already loves us beyond all telling, and which can
be cleansed and purified at our simple request!
Then
all our actions can proceed effortlessly and creatively to upbuild all those we
come into contact with no matter who they are, no matter how they appear, no
matter what they may have previously done. This is the grace of our own transformation;
this is the grace of salvation.
In
the first reading St. Paul relates that our efforts at entering into true
relationship, true giving, true uplifting never was meant to be easy: he
describes his own affliction, constraint, perplexity, despair, persecution and
abandonment – but through it all it is when we accept these things as carrying
about in ourselves the Body of the dying of Jesus, we also will find that his
Life of Resurrection becomes manifest in us as well. But you can’t have the one
without the other, just as he couldn’t. Suffering is the price of glory for all
of us. But the Victory has already been won, and the effects and fruits of are available
to spur us on in the real battle of earthly life, that is only temporary –
having an unimagined life of bliss, joy, peace, and love that will last
forever!
And
so, in our weakness we must shine like lights in the world, as we hold on to
the word of life: the Very Word Made Flesh – our Saviour, our Brother our
Friend: Christ the Lord! Amen.
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