READING OF THE DAY First reading from the Book of Sirach SIR 15:15-20
If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you; if you trust in God, you too shall live; he has set before you fire and water to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand. Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him. Immense is the wisdom of the Lord; he is mighty in power, and all-seeing. The eyes of God are on those who fear him; he understands man’s every deed. No one does he command to act unjustly, to none does he give license to sin.
Second reading from the first letter of St. Paul to Corinthians 1 COR 2:6-10
Brothers and sisters: We speak a wisdom to those who are mature, not a wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age who are passing away. Rather, we speak God’s wisdom, mysterious, hidden, which God predetermined before the ages for our glory, and which none of the rulers of this age knew; for, if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him, this God has revealed to us through the Spirit.
For the Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY From the Gospel according to Matthew 5:20-22A, 27-28, 33-34A, 37
Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter 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 brother will be liable to judgment.
“You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
“Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors, Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow. But I say to you, do not swear at all. Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one.”
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER Jesus did not want to do away with the Commandments that the Lord had given through Moses; rather, he wanted to bring them to fulfilment. He then added that this “fulfilment” of the Law requires a higher kind justice, a more authentic observance. In fact, he says to his disciples: “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Angelus, 16 February 2014)
FAUSTI - Jesus came to free us from the slavery of the law, not to abolish it - it would be to turn good into evil and vice versa - but to accomplish it, and in a superior, divine way. Jesus is not the end, but the aim of the law and the prophets: not abolition, but fulfillment. He lives the Word given to Moses and recalled by the prophets: it is the Son who does the Father's Will. "But I say to you" says Jesus declaring the "excessive" righteousness of the Son who brings into the Kingdom of the Father. The norm of His action is to become like the Father. Be what you are: you are son, be therefore son, equal to the Father who loves everyone. The discourse on the mountain rereads, in this light, our relations with our brothers and sisters. The scribes teach the justice of the law, the Pharisees do it. Jesus says that to enter the Kingdom it is not enough to know and execute the law. You need justice that goes beyond the limits of the law. It is that of the Father, who loves, forgives and saves His children freely. It is an "excessive" justice, because the love that moves it has no measure. The Kingdom of Heaven is that of God the Father: children enter it, those who love others as brothers and sisters, beyond any goodness or quality. If our salvation consists in being perfect like God, His perfection is that of the Father who loves everyone. Jesus speaks with equal authority to the One who gave the 10 Words. "But I say to you," It does not contradict what has been said, but it clarifies it, it modifies it in what it sounds concession, and passes from simple actions to the desires of the heart, from which everything emanates. But what He says is not a legalistic imposition, even stricter than the previous one, which judges not only actions, but even intentions. Instead, it is the "good news" of what God works in us through these very words, which have the authority to do what they are sent for. They should therefore be understood not as "a code" of beautiful, but inhuman, divinely impossible laws, but as "revelation" and gift of God's very life for us. In the light of the Kingdom of the Father, proclaimed in the Beatitudes, relations with others and with the Other are now being reviewed. The two tables of the Decalogue must be revisited with the new heart of the Son. "You", who have the Wisdom of the Beatitudes, are salt of the earth and light of the world precisely because you live with others as brothers and sisters who know the common Father. By denying fraternity, I kill my identity as a son. That is why the wrath of man does not fulfill God's justice. Contempt is the inner killing, which allows the outer one. The esteem that I must award to the other is the same as that of God, who has not hesitated to give His life for him. Jesus four times speaks of the other as "brother". To deny him fraternity is to lose one's filiality. Fraternal agreement is so important that reconciliation takes precedence over any religious cult. Before you turn to the Father, you must not only forgive the brother against whom you have something, but also reconcile yourself with the brother who has something against you, even if you have nothing against him. You cannot celebrate fatherhood unless you first try to re-establish brotherhood. "Go and reconcile with your brother first" If you do not reconcile with the brother who has something against you, you are responsible, even if you have nothing against him. You can't say you're right or you don't care. Not agreeing is already "evil"; and if you don't care about him, you have already killed him as a brother and yourself as a son.
--To disagree is already "evil"; and if you do not care about him, you have already killed him as a brother and yourself as a son. The other is always the one who is against, the adversary. Because he has a good that you do not have and you want to take it from him, or because he does not have what you want from him, or because he takes from you what you want from him, the other is still your "contender. He camps on you the same rights that you camp on him. In this "contention" you must hurry to re-establish the agreement, or else you will be condemned as a non-son. Life is a path of reconciliation with the other. It has as its goal your truth as a son in your life as a brother. If you do not do this, you lose time and life; you lose the meaning of your existence. It doesn't matter if you are right or wrong. If you don't get along with your brother, you are not a son. With your life you write the sentence that the judge will eventually read. Jesus reads it to you now, because you change what you're writing! If you don't move from the logic of debt to that of gift and forgiveness, you lose your life as a child of the Father. The spouses are each other's and vice versa, in the mutual gift of love. To break this union means to halve the person, to break the image of God who is Communion of Love. The eye that desires to possess is already adultery. Jesus shifts the attention from the eye to the heart. A fidelity that is not of the eye and of the heart is a whitewashed tomb. The eye to desire and the hand to take are the origin of all good and all evil, not only of adultery. So that the eye and the hand are not for death, it is necessary to de-cide (cut) that which does not lead to life. "Who repudiates" This is divorce, failure of a union. Repudiation is not adultery. Adultery is changing partners. The law supposes evil and remedies the worst. Jesus instead proposes the " Gospel", the Good News of the victory over evil and the possibility of the best. "Let it be your word." Our speaking does not call God as a witness, but witnesses God. Let it be like His: always true, transparency of heart. Let our speaking be yes, if it is yes, no if it is no. In between there can only be the "don't know", but not as cunning or laziness, but as a commitment to search for the truth or silence of charity. The word, the origin of all good if it is yes to yes and no to no, is the principle of all evil if it is no to yes and yes to no. God, infinite, is all and only "yes" (2 Cor 1:19) ; man, finite, also knows no, and this is true man when it is yes to yes and no to no. Every word must precede and follow silence: Will the capacity for silence bring us back life?
READING OF THE DAY
RispondiEliminaFirst reading from the Book of Sirach
SIR 15:15-20
If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you;
if you trust in God, you too shall live;
he has set before you fire and water
to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand.
Before man are life and death, good and evil,
whichever he chooses shall be given him.
Immense is the wisdom of the Lord;
he is mighty in power, and all-seeing.
The eyes of God are on those who fear him;
he understands man’s every deed.
No one does he command to act unjustly,
to none does he give license to sin.
Second reading from the first letter of St. Paul to Corinthians
1 COR 2:6-10
Brothers and sisters:
We speak a wisdom to those who are mature,
not a wisdom of this age,
nor of the rulers of this age who are passing away.
Rather, we speak God’s wisdom, mysterious, hidden,
which God predetermined before the ages for our glory,
and which none of the rulers of this age knew;
for, if they had known it,
they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
But as it is written:
What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard,
and what has not entered the human heart,
what God has prepared for those who love him,
this God has revealed to us through the Spirit.
For the Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Matthew
5:20-22A, 27-28, 33-34A, 37
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses
that of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will not enter 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 brother
will be liable to judgment.
“You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery.
But I say to you,
everyone who looks at a woman with lust
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
“Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
Do not take a false oath,
but make good to the Lord all that you vow.
But I say to you, do not swear at all.
Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’
Anything more is from the evil one.”
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER
Jesus did not want to do away with the Commandments that the Lord had given through Moses; rather, he wanted to bring them to fulfilment. He then added that this “fulfilment” of the Law requires a higher kind justice, a more authentic observance. In fact, he says to his disciples: “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Angelus, 16 February 2014)
FAUSTI - Jesus came to free us from the slavery of the law, not to abolish it - it would be to turn good into evil and vice versa - but to accomplish it, and in a superior, divine way.
RispondiEliminaJesus is not the end, but the aim of the law and the prophets: not abolition, but fulfillment.
He lives the Word given to Moses and recalled by the prophets: it is the Son who does the Father's Will.
"But I say to you" says Jesus declaring the "excessive" righteousness of the Son who brings into the Kingdom of the Father. The norm of His action is to become like the Father.
Be what you are: you are son, be therefore son, equal to the Father who loves everyone.
The discourse on the mountain rereads, in this light, our relations with our brothers and sisters.
The scribes teach the justice of the law, the Pharisees do it.
Jesus says that to enter the Kingdom it is not enough to know and execute the law.
You need justice that goes beyond the limits of the law.
It is that of the Father, who loves, forgives and saves His children freely.
It is an "excessive" justice, because the love that moves it has no measure.
The Kingdom of Heaven is that of God the Father: children enter it, those who love others as brothers and sisters, beyond any goodness or quality. If our salvation consists in being perfect like God, His perfection is that of the Father who loves everyone.
Jesus speaks with equal authority to the One who gave the 10 Words.
"But I say to you," It does not contradict what has been said, but it clarifies it, it modifies it in what it sounds concession, and passes from simple actions to the desires of the heart, from which everything emanates.
But what He says is not a legalistic imposition, even stricter than the previous one, which judges not only actions, but even intentions.
Instead, it is the "good news" of what God works in us through these very words, which have the authority to do what they are sent for.
They should therefore be understood not as "a code" of beautiful, but inhuman, divinely impossible laws, but as "revelation" and gift of God's very life for us.
In the light of the Kingdom of the Father, proclaimed in the Beatitudes, relations with others and with the Other are now being reviewed.
The two tables of the Decalogue must be revisited with the new heart of the Son.
"You", who have the Wisdom of the Beatitudes, are salt of the earth and light of the world precisely because you live with others as brothers and sisters who know the common Father.
By denying fraternity, I kill my identity as a son.
That is why the wrath of man does not fulfill God's justice.
Contempt is the inner killing, which allows the outer one.
The esteem that I must award to the other is the same as that of God, who has not hesitated to give His life for him.
Jesus four times speaks of the other as "brother". To deny him fraternity is to lose one's filiality.
Fraternal agreement is so important that reconciliation takes precedence over any religious cult.
Before you turn to the Father, you must not only forgive the brother against whom you have something, but also reconcile yourself with the brother who has something against you, even if you have nothing against him.
You cannot celebrate fatherhood unless you first try to re-establish brotherhood.
"Go and reconcile with your brother first" If you do not reconcile with the brother who has something against you, you are responsible, even if you have nothing against him.
You can't say you're right or you don't care.
Not agreeing is already "evil"; and if you don't care about him, you have already killed him as a brother and yourself as a son.
--To disagree is already "evil"; and if you do not care about him, you have already killed him as a brother and yourself as a son.
RispondiEliminaThe other is always the one who is against, the adversary. Because he has a good that you do not have and you want to take it from him, or because he does not have what you want from him, or because he takes from you what you want from him, the other is still your "contender. He camps on you the same rights that you camp on him. In this "contention" you must hurry to re-establish the agreement, or else you will be condemned as a non-son.
Life is a path of reconciliation with the other.
It has as its goal your truth as a son in your life as a brother.
If you do not do this, you lose time and life; you lose the meaning of your existence.
It doesn't matter if you are right or wrong. If you don't get along with your brother, you are not a son.
With your life you write the sentence that the judge will eventually read.
Jesus reads it to you now, because you change what you're writing!
If you don't move from the logic of debt to that of gift and forgiveness, you lose your life as a child of the Father.
The spouses are each other's and vice versa, in the mutual gift of love.
To break this union means to halve the person, to break the image of God who is Communion of Love.
The eye that desires to possess is already adultery. Jesus shifts the attention from the eye to the heart.
A fidelity that is not of the eye and of the heart is a whitewashed tomb.
The eye to desire and the hand to take are the origin of all good and all evil, not only of adultery.
So that the eye and the hand are not for death, it is necessary to de-cide (cut) that which does not lead to life.
"Who repudiates" This is divorce, failure of a union. Repudiation is not adultery. Adultery is changing partners.
The law supposes evil and remedies the worst. Jesus instead proposes the " Gospel", the Good News of the victory over evil and the possibility of the best.
"Let it be your word." Our speaking does not call God as a witness, but witnesses God.
Let it be like His: always true, transparency of heart.
Let our speaking be yes, if it is yes, no if it is no.
In between there can only be the "don't know", but not as cunning or laziness, but as a commitment to search for the truth or silence of charity.
The word, the origin of all good if it is yes to yes and no to no, is the principle of all evil if it is no to yes and yes to no.
God, infinite, is all and only "yes" (2 Cor 1:19) ;
man, finite, also knows no, and this is true man when it is yes to yes and no to no.
Every word must precede and follow silence:
Will the capacity for silence bring us back life?