1st Week of Lent
03rd March 2023 (Friday) Readings and Reflection
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Reading of the Day
First Reading: Ezekiel 18:21-28
Thus says the Lord God: "If a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die. "Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
Psalm 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6ab, 6c-8 (R. 3)
R/. If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand?
Gospel : Matthew 5:20-26
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Main Theme: Rise above!
Indicative: God’s mindset is totally in contrast to the worldly mindset. We are called to put on God’s mindset{alertSuccess}
1. Modern society claims to be more justice-conscious. There is so much clamour and fight for rights, social justice, and human dignity. But if analyse a little carefully, it is mostly shallow. The world’s justice is often equated with revenge, retaliation, and punishment
2. In simple, worldly justice operates on the three D’s: dominate, damage, and destroy. The more you are able to suppress others, torment them and cause as much harm and destruction as possible, the more you are great
3. But the mindset of God is a total contrast. For God, justice is always blended with mercy. His justice is never oriented to harm or destroy the person. It is always for the good and betterment of the person
4. The first reading from Ezekiel makes this way of God’s acting crystal clear. God asks, “Do I have any pleasure from the death of the wicked?”What God wants is the end of sin and not the sinner. That is why He readily forgives and saves even the greatest sinner when he repents and turns away from sin. He does not keep an account of his past sins and punishes him. For God, not the past but the present matters
5. Some may object to this type of God’s justice that He forgives the repentant sinner but punishes the strayed righteous. They will argue, how can God simply ignore a whole past of good deeds of a just man and punish him for his present deviation?
6. Here the point is not a logical or mathematical calculation. The issue is simple and clear: God is merciful even to the sinner. And disloyalty and inconsistency in a right living will be liable to judgment
7. Jesus furthers this divine mindset in the gospel. God expects us not to be content with the minimums but strive for the maximum. For instance, it is not enough to avoid murder but is needed to avoid even anger, humiliation, and retaliation
Imperative: In a world that lives and propagates a culture of the minimum and “dry justice” that stoops to aggression and retaliation, we are called to be fully committed, just, and merciful{alertSuccess}