Cycle A - Year II:  

16 February 2014: 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical color: Green)

Matthew 5:20-22a, 27-28, 33-34a, 37

Beyond the external to inner conviction!

Living in our material world can sometimes be deceiving. Because not everything is really what  it seems. That is why perhaps the romantics would want to say that real "beauty" is not seen by the eyes but felt only by the heart, (a timely message as we celebrate Valentine's Day this month).

The Gospel message this Sunday has something to do with inner realities over and above what is tangible to the eyes. Jesus tells us that to be his followers requires more than external observance of God's laws but more from our inner convictions.

Jesus lays down a condition to enter the kingdom of heaven. That is, one's "righteousness" must exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees of his time. Who were these people? Well, the Scribes and Pharisees prided themselves on their meticulous observance of the law. Yet in Jesus' standard, there seems to be something missing in their observance of the law.

So what then is "righteousness"?  Simply put, it means one must be in right relationship with God.  To do that, Jesus asks his followers to get radical, meaning, to go to the roots of our thoughts, words, and deeds by asking ourselves "is this thought, word or act pleasing to the Lord and worthy of his blessing?"

Jesus uses the significance of the Ten Commandments to teach his followers to go beyond surface-level spirituality  and instead go deeper into inner motivation. Today's Gospel gives us some instances to illustrate this:

For example God's commandment on killing. His command is not simply to avoid murder but not to harbor ill feelings and not to speak evil against our neighbor. Angry and insulting words are condemned because they violate a person's dignity.

And Jesus is asking us not only not to physically commit adultery but not to lust over others. Because lustful thoughts violate the virtue of chastity as much as an act of adultery itself.

Also, Jesus prohibits us from taking oaths and demands that everything we say be truthful so that there is no need for any oath to back up our claims.

In sum, the demands of discipleship are tough and challenging. In a word, Jesus demands not only the external avoidance of evil but to take away as well any interior precondition that can lead us to commit sin. But we must not lose heart. Because our sanctification will come about through the action of the Holy Spirit, when we respond, repent, and sustain our efforts to live in right relationship with the Lord.

A blessed Sunday to us all, and thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!