Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent
Lectionary: 239
Reading 1
Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9
Moses spoke to the people and said:
"Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees
which I am teaching you to observe,
that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land
which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.
Therefore, I teach you the statutes and decrees
as the LORD, my God, has commanded me,
that you may observe them in the land you are entering to occupy.
Observe them carefully,
for thus will you give evidence
of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations,
who will hear of all these statutes and say,
'This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.'
For what great nation is there
that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us
whenever we call upon him?
Or what great nation has statutes and decrees
that are as just as this whole law
which I am setting before you today?
"However, take care and be earnestly on your guard
not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen,
nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live,
but teach them to your children and to your children's children."
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20
R. (12a) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
He spreads snow like wool;
frost he strews like ashes.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
Verse Before the Gospel
See John 6:63c, 68c
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
You have the words of everlasting life.
Gospel
Matthew 5:17-19
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
The Height of the New Law
“I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.” Matthew 5:17–18
The Old Law, the law from the Old Testament, prescribed various moral precepts, as well as ceremonial precepts for worship. Jesus makes it clear that He is not abolishing all that God taught through Moses and the Prophets. This is because the New Testament is the culmination and completion of the Old Testament. Thus, nothing of old was abolished; it was fulfilled and brought to completion.
The moral precepts of the Old Testament were laws that flowed primarily from human reason. It made sense that one should not kill, steal, commit adultery, lie, etc. It also made sense that God should be honored and respected. The Ten Commandments and the other moral laws still hold today. But Jesus brings us much further. He not only called us to go much deeper in the keeping of these commandments, He also promised the gift of grace so that they could be fulfilled. Thus, “Thou shall not kill” is deepened to the requirement of complete and total forgiveness of those who persecute us.
It’s interesting to note that the new depth of the moral law Jesus gives actually goes beyond human reason. “Thou shall not kill” makes sense to almost everyone, but “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” is a new moral law that makes sense only by the help of grace. But without grace, the natural human mind alone cannot arrive at this new commandment.
This is extremely helpful to understand, because oftentimes we go through life relying upon our human reason alone when it comes to making moral decisions. And though our human reason will always direct us away from the most obvious moral failures, it will be insufficient alone to guide us to the heights of moral perfection. Grace is necessary for this high calling to make sense. Only by grace can we understand and fulfill the call to take up our crosses and follow Christ.
Reflect, today, upon your own calling to perfection. If it doesn’t make sense to you how God can expect perfection of you, then pause and reflect upon the fact that you are right—it doesn’t make sense to human reason alone! Pray that your human reason will be flooded with the light of grace so that you will be able to not only understand your high calling to perfection but that you will also be given the grace you need to achieve it.
Reflection 2
The Servants of the Word
Whoever Relaxes One of the Commandments
Do you view God's law negatively or positively? Jesus' attitude towards the law of God can be summed up in the great prayer of Psalm 119: "Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day." For the people of Israel the "law" could refer to the ten commandments or to the five Books of Moses, called the Pentateuch, which explain the commandments and ordinances of God for his people. The "law" also referred to the whole teaching or way of life which God gave to his people. The Jews in Jesus' time also used it as a description of the oral or scribal law. Needless to say, the scribes added many more things to the law than God intended. That is why Jesus often condemned the scribal law. It placed burdens on people which God had not intended. Jesus, however, made it very clear that the essence of God's law - his commandments and way of life, must be fulfilled.
Jesus taught reverence for God's law - reverence for God himself, for the Lord's Day, reverence or respect for parents, respect for life, for property, for another person's good name, respect for oneself and for one's neighbor lest wrong or hurtful desires master us. Reverence and respect for God's commandments teach us the way of love - love of God and love of neighbor.
The transforming work of the Holy Spirit
What is impossible to men and women is possible to God and those who put their faith and trust in God. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit the Lord transforms us and makes us like himself. We are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) because "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). God gives us the grace to love as he loves, to forgive as he forgives, to think as he thinks, and to act as he acts.
The Lord loves justice and goodness and he hates every form of wickedness and sin. He wants to set us free from our unruly desires and sinful habits, so that we can choose to live each day in the peace, joy, and righteousness of his Holy Spirit (Romans 14: 17). To renounce sin is to turn away from what is harmful and destructive for our minds and hearts, and our very lives. As his followers we must love and respect his commandments and hate every form of sin. Do you love and revere the commands of the Lord?
Reflection 3
By Fr. Vicenç GUINOT i Gómez
(Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Spain)
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.”
Today the different religions are highly respected. They all express man's quest of transcendence, of the great beyond, of the everlasting realities. And yet, in Christianity, plunging its roots in Judaism, this phenomenon is the other way round: it is God Who is in quest of man.
As Saint John Paul II reminded us, God wants to get closer to man. God wants to address him His words, to show him His face for He is seeking closeness with him. This becomes a reality with the people of Israel, people chosen by God to receive His words. This is Moses' own experience when he says: “For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him?” (Deut 4:7). And, even then, the psalmist says «He proclaims his word to Jacob, his statutes and laws to Israel (Ps 147:19-20).
Therefore, Jesus, with His presence, abides by God's wish to get closer to man. This is why He says “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” (Mt 5:17). He comes to enrich us, to enlighten us, so that men come to know God's true face and may enter in closeness with Him.
In this way, to ignore God's suggestions, no matter how insignificant, involves a very paltry knowledge of God that, in turn, involves being considered as small in the Kingdom of Heaven. Saint Theophilus of Antioch said: “For God is seen by those who are enabled to see Him when they have the eyes of their soul opened: for all have eyes; but in some they are overspread, and do not see the light of the sun.”
In our prayer we are aiming to faithfully follow the indications of our Lord. Thus, we shall have a greater closeness with Him and, therefore, we shall be considered big in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Prayers
My most high Jesus, You have called us to a new height of holiness. You have called us to perfection. Enlighten my mind, dear Lord, so that I may understand this high calling and pour forth Your grace, so that I may embrace my moral duty to the fullest extent. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, grant this day, to direct and sanctify, to rule and govern our hearts and bodies, so that all our thoughts, words and deeds may be according to your Father's law and thus may we be saved and protected through your mighty help.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 66: Justice Through Mercy
Some people, day in and day out, experience the harshness and cruelty of another. This is quite painful. As a result, there can be a strong desire for justice so that the person causing pain be held accountable. But the real question is this: What is the Lord calling me to do? How shall I react? Shall I be an instrument of God’s wrath and justice? Or shall I be an instrument of Mercy? The answer is both. The key is understanding that God’s justice, in this life, is implemented through His Mercy and through the Mercy we show to those who offend us. For now, accepting the darts of another in virtue is the way to God’s justice. We grow in patience and strength of character as we live in this virtuous way. In the end, at the end of time, God will right every wrong and all will come to light. But, for now, our mission is to bring the justice of God by offering His unlimited and continual Mercy (See Diary #236).
Reflect upon any hurt you may have received from another. Reflect upon any words or actions that have stung you to the heart. Try to accept them in silence and surrender. Try to unite them to the sufferings of Christ and know that this act of humility and patience on your part will bring forth God’s justice in His time and in His way.
Lord, help me to forgive. Help me to offer Mercy in the face of every wrong I encounter. May the Mercy You place in my heart be the source of Your own divine justice. I entrust to You all that I cannot comprehend in this life and know that, in the end, You will make all things new in Your light. Jesus, I trust in You.
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