Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 362
Reading 1
1 Kings 18:41-46
Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink,
for there is the sound of a heavy rain."
So Ahab went up to eat and drink,
while Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel,
crouched down to the earth,
and put his head between his knees.
"Climb up and look out to sea," he directed his servant,
who went up and looked, but reported, "There is nothing."
Seven times he said, "Go, look again!"
And the seventh time the youth reported,
"There is a cloud as small as a man's hand rising from the sea."
Elijah said, "Go and say to Ahab,
'Harness up and leave the mountain before the rain stops you.'"
In a trice the sky grew dark with clouds and wind,
and a heavy rain fell.
Ahab mounted his chariot and made for Jezreel.
But the hand of the LORD was on Elijah,
who girded up his clothing and ran before Ahab
as far as the approaches to Jezreel.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 65:10, 11, 12-13
R. (2a) It is right to praise you in Zion, O God.
You have visited the land and watered it;
greatly have you enriched it.
God's watercourses are filled;
you have prepared the grain.
R. It is right to praise you in Zion, O God.
Thus have you prepared the land:
drenching its furrows, breaking up its clods,
Softening it with showers,
blessing its yield.
R. It is right to praise you in Zion, O God.
You have crowned the year with your bounty,
and your paths overflow with a rich harvest;
The untilled meadows overflow with it,
and rejoicing clothes the hills.
R. It is right to praise you in Zion, O God.
Alleluia
John 13:34
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I give you a new commandment:
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Matthew 5:20-26
Jesus said to his disciples:
"I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that
of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will not enter into 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 his brother
will be liable to judgment,
and whoever says to his brother, Raqa,
will be answerable to the Sanhedrin,
and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,
and there recall that your brother
has anything against you,
leave your gift there at the altar,
go first and be reconciled with your brother,
and then come and offer your gift.
Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him.
Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge,
and the judge will hand you over to the guard,
and you will be thrown into prison.
Amen, I say to you,
you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
The Burden of Anger
“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 his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.” Matthew 5:21–22
The passage quoted above gives us three deepening levels of sin that we commit against another. These sins were new teachings not contained in the Old Testament. By this teaching, Jesus’ call to radical holiness and love of neighbor is made very clear.
The first level of sin is simply to be “angry” interiorly. The sin of anger is an interior attitude of disgust toward another. Jesus says that the consequence of having anger toward another is that you will be “liable to judgment.” The second level of sin is when you say to another “Raqa.” This Aramaic word is difficult to translate but would include some form of expression of one’s anger toward another. It would be a derogatory way of saying to another that they are unintelligent or inferior. The third level of sin Jesus identifies is when you call another “fool.” This word is an even stronger expression of Raqa and would be a verbal criticism of them, indicating that the person is a lost soul in a moral sense. It’s a strong moral condemnation of another that is expressed.
So, do you struggle with anger? Jesus’ calling to freedom from all levels of this sin is a high one. There are many times in life when our passion of anger is stirred up for one reason or another, and that passion leads to one of these levels of sin. It’s a common temptation to want to condemn another with whom you are angry in the strongest way possible.
It’s important to understand that this new teaching of Jesus is truly not a burden when understood and embraced. At first, it can seem that these laws of our Lord against anger are negative. That’s because lashing out at another gives a false sense of satisfaction, and these commands of our Lord, in a sense, “rob” us of that satisfaction. It can be a depressing thought to think about the moral obligation to forgive to the point that disordered anger disappears. But is it depressing? Is this law of our Lord a burden?
The deep truth is that what Jesus teaches us in this passage is, in many ways, more for our own good than that of others. Our anger toward another, be it interior, verbally critical or all-out condemning, can be hurtful toward the person with whom we are angry, but the damage these forms of anger do is far worse for us than them. Being angry, even interiorly, even if we put on a happy face, does great damage to our soul and our ability to be united to God. For that reason, it is not this new law of our Lord regarding anger that is the burden, it is the anger itself that is a heavy burden and a burden from which Jesus wants you free.
Reflect, today, upon the sin of anger. As you do, try to see your disordered anger as the real enemy rather than the person with whom you are angry. Pray to our Lord to free you from this enemy of the soul and seek the freedom that He wants to bestow.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
QUICK
“Lose no time; settle with your opponent while on your way to court with him.” —Matthew 5:25
In our fast-paced culture, we are very interested in quickness — quick service, quick relief, quick loans, etc. The Lord is also interested in quickness, but in other ways. He demands quick reconciliation (Mt 5:25), offers quick healings, and expects quick obedience. However, we are often slow of heart to believe (Lk 24:25), dragging our heels, holding our grudges, grinding our axes, licking our wounds, or involved in other delaying tactics. If we were only quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger (Jas 1:19) instead of just the opposite! If only we were quick as the Lord is quick and slow as He is slow instead of being warped by the ways of the world! (see 2 Pt 3:9)
Let’s begin to restore God’s timing and rhythm to our lives by accepting the grace to forgive seventy times seven times immediately (see Mt 18:22). Then let’s go to Confession and repent of being slow to obey, that is, of being disobedient. If we quickly obey Dr. Jesus’ orders, we may find that our healings fit more the pattern we see in the New Testament.
Next, let’s make Sunday truly a day of rest when we slow down our speech, anger, and lifestyles. Let’s quiet down as we slow down so that we can respond to the quickening of God’s grace in us.
Prayer: Father, slow me down to speed me up.
Promise: “The hand of the Lord was on Elijah.” —1 Kgs 18:46
Praise: St. Anthony once preached in a town which refused to listen to God’s Word. He then told the townspeople that their fish would receive the Word better than they. As he preached at the riverbank, a great crowd of fish gathered, rose to the surface of the water, and listened to God’s Word. The townspeople repented and were converted.
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
The ‘righteousness’ of the Scribes and Pharisees was all about keeping the Law. But the righteousness that Jesus asks of his followers is based on love. In that sense, we can exhibit righteousness in two ways. First, by guarding our hearts from evil thoughts, including anger. Though anger does not have the same consequence as murder, God sees it as murder since it’s the seed of murder. Second, by guarding our tongues from evil speech, including slander. Usually slander and insult lead to murderous acts. Do we make an effort to check our hearts and tongues so as not to spoil relationships? Let’s always remember that we who strive for godly perfection need to exhibit genuine righteousness in all our behaviour.
Prayers
My merciful Lord, You call us to perfect freedom from all that burdens us. Anger burdens us. Help me to see the burden that my anger imposes upon me and help me to seek true freedom through the act of forgiveness and reconciliation. Please forgive me, dear Lord, as I forgive all who have hurt me. Jesus, I trust in You.
May I be no man's enemy, and may I be the friend of that which is eternal and abides. May I never quarrel with those nearest me: and if I do, may I be reconciled quickly. May I love, seek, and attain only that which is good. May I wish for all men's happiness and envy none. May I never rejoice in the ill-fortune of one who has wronged me. When I have done or said what is wrong, may I never wait for the rebuke of others, but always rebuke myself until I make amends. May I win no victory that harms either me or my opponent. May I reconcile friends who are angry with one another. May I never fail a friend who is in danger. When visiting those in grief may I be able by gentle and healing words to soften their pain. May I respect myself. May I always keep tame that which rages within me. May I accustom myself to be gentle, and never be angry with people because of circumstances. May I never discuss who is wicked and what wicked things he has done, but know good men and follow in their footsteps. (Prayer of Eusebius, 3rd century)
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 164: Longing for the Souls of Sinners
When you see someone with manifest sin, what is your reaction? Many people react with disdain and harsh judgment. When someone breaks the law, we harshly condemn them. When someone lives an immoral lifestyle, we belittle them. Very often, our attitude toward the sinner is merciless. This is a problem. True, we must see sin for what it is and work to oppose it, especially when it affects others. But we must always hold in our hearts a deep love for sinners. We must have a longing for their repentance and always see the innate dignity they have as persons (See Diary #842).
What is your reaction toward the sinner? Be honest and look first at how you react interiorly. We are all sinners. Some sins are more manifest than others and some live sinful lives in an open and obstinate way. But should we allow ourselves to condemn them? We must judge an objective action for what it is, but the person must never be judged. This is solely up to God. Reflect upon your attitude toward those with more manifest sins. Pray that instead of becoming harsh and critical you will long for their conversion and love them wholeheartedly despite their actions.
Lord, give me a heart of mercy for sinners. Help me to love them with a burning love and to suspend my temptations to judge. May I long for all people with Your Heart of Mercy desiring their holiness. May I also be aware of my own sinfulness and daily seek Your merciful Heart. Jesus, I trust in You.
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