Dear Parishioners,
On the final Sunday before Lent, our readings remind us of commandments. God’s infinite wisdom has given us laws that enable us to live a good, righteous life. Since we enter Lent later this week, today is a good opportunity to ask ourselves how we are keeping the commandments, especially the supreme commandment to love God and neighbor.
Over the last three Sundays, we have heard the beginning of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, when he starts teaching his disciples the very foundations of a Christian life. All three passages go together. We started with the Beatitudes, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, the clean of heart.” When we hear Jesus expand on the commandments today, we hear the beatitudes at their heart. When we are truly merciful, we aren’t merely prohibiting murder. We are reconciling with our opponents instead. If we are clean of heart, we are not merely avoiding adultery, we are respecting the commitment we and others have made. Our humanity and righteousness mean we stand behind our yeses and nos without equivocation or embellishments. When we act this way, we enable others to see what is morally good, as a light shining from a lampstand. It all goes together. Have a blessed Lenten season.
Love, Peace, Joy,
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