The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to openness to the Spirit that reveals our personal responsibilities for peace and reconciliation in our journey.
The reading from the Prophet Ezekiel declares our personal responsibility for life and death choices.
* [18:25] The LORD’s way is not fair: this chapter rejects the idea that punishment is transferred from one generation to the next and emphasizes individual responsibility and accountability. (Ezekiel, CHAPTER 18, n.d.)
Psalm 130 is a lament while waiting for Divine Redemption.
* [Psalm 130] This lament, a Penitential Psalm, is the De profundis used in liturgical prayers for the faithful departed. In deep sorrow the psalmist cries to God (Ps 130:1–2), asking for mercy (Ps 130:3–4). The psalmist’s trust (Ps 130:5–6) becomes a model for the people (Ps 130:7–8). (Psalms, PSALM 130, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches concerning anger.
* [5:22–26] Reconciliation with an offended brother is urged in the admonition of Mt 5:23–24 and the parable of Mt 5:25–26 (//Lk 12:58–59). The severity of the judge in the parable is a warning of the fate of unrepentant sinners in the coming judgment by God.
* [5:22] Anger is the motive behind murder, as the insulting epithets are steps that may lead to it. They, as well as the deed, are all forbidden. Raqa: an Aramaic word rēqā’ or rēqâ probably meaning “imbecile,” “blockhead,” a term of abuse. The ascending order of punishment, judgment (by a local council?), trial before the Sanhedrin, condemnation to Gehenna, points to a higher degree of seriousness in each of the offenses. Sanhedrin: the highest judicial body of Judaism. Gehenna: in Hebrew gê-hinnōm, “Valley of Hinnom,” or gê ben-hinnōm, “Valley of the son of Hinnom,” southwest of Jerusalem, the center of an idolatrous cult during the monarchy in which children were offered in sacrifice (see 2 Kgs 23:10; Jer 7:31). In Jos 18:16 (Septuagint, Codex Vaticanus) the Hebrew is transliterated into Greek as gaienna, which appears in the New Testament as geenna. The concept of punishment of sinners by fire either after death or after the final judgment is found in Jewish apocalyptic literature (e.g., Enoch 90:26) but the name geenna is first given to the place of punishment in the New Testament. (Matthew, CHAPTER 5, n.d.)
Mike Cherney sees the Gospel taking one step farther than the first reading and the psalm.
In the Gospel, the demand seems to be to go above and beyond the law. Jesus seems to say that salvation lies beyond the acts of the church leaders. Jesus seems to say that salvation lies beyond the rituals of personal reconciliation. Jesus seems to say that salvation lies in going beyond external acts and involves the restoration of relationships. My prayer today focuses on reconciliation.
Dear Lord,
I come before You, but I still continue to disappoint.
With age I come to realize the depth of personal failings.
I start to see the many times that I have left matters unresolved,
and have moved on neglecting the damaged relationships.
I start to see the iniquity of my silent ascent to societal norms
that continue historically damaged relationships.
My only salvation is that You are patient and forgiving.Even now says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart, for I am gracious and merciful. Jl 2:12-13. (Cherney, 2024)
Don Schwager quotes “Are you ashamed to ask pardon?” by Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"How many there are who know that they have sinned against their brothers or sisters and yet are unwilling to say: 'Forgive me.' They were not ashamed to sin, but they are ashamed to ask pardon. They were not ashamed of their evil act, but they blush where humility is concerned." (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 5:20-26 comments that Jesus wants us to “leave our gift at the altar” and reconcile with someone who has something against us (Matthew 5:23)? How are we even supposed to know when this is the case?
How? It depends. If your words have damaged the person, try to reconnect and make amends. If you have taken something material, or “stolen” someone’s good name through gossip, do what you can to restore it. Reconcile wherever possible. But sometimes you can’t. At those times, bring the situation to the Lord and ask his forgiveness even if you can’t ask the other person.
It’s a serious thing to hurt our brothers and sisters. Serious enough that Jesus said it’s better to walk eighty miles to reconcile. So let’s make peace with the people in our lives before we come to the Lord in worship.
“Jesus, help me to see any ways that I need to reconcile with someone.” (Meditation on Matthew 5:20-26, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler notes that the people accuse God of being unfair in treating the just person who turns to sin, and not considering his previous good status as a credit. The observance of the Law in a very scrupulous manner like the Pharisees was criticized by Jesus who seeks our spiritual scrupulous attention to the harm we do to others. Friar Jude explains the purification in Purgatory that resonates with this passage from Matthew.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces depth psychologist Carol Pearson who considers the gifts shared by those who have completed the hero’s journey of inner transformation.
In ancient times, societies were governed by kings and queens.… Today, however, we prize the achievement of democracy. Yet living in an egalitarian society carries with it responsibilities. Instead of only exceptional people going on the quest, we all need to be doing so. Heroism today requires us all to find the treasure of our true selves and to share that treasure with the community as a whole—through doing and being fully who we are. To the degree that we do so, our kingdoms are transformed. [1] (Rohr, 2024)
Father Richard locates the generativity of our spiritual journeys with our deeper connection to the Source of all life.
The hero returns to where they started and “knows the place for the first time” [2], but now with a gift or “boon” for their people or village. As the last step of Alcoholics Anonymous states, a person must pass the lessons learned on to others—or there has been no real gift at all. The hero’s journey is always an experience of an excess of life, a surplus of energy, with plenty left over for others. The hero has found eros, or life energy, and it is more than enough to undo thanatos, the energy of death.
Interestingly enough, this classic tradition of a true “hero” is not our present understanding at all. There is little social matrix to our present use of the word. A “hero” now is largely about being bold, attractive, rich, famous, talented, or “fantastic” by oneself, and often for oneself, whereas the classic hero is the one who “goes the distance,” whatever that takes, and then has plenty left over for others. True heroism serves the common good or it is not really heroism at all. [3] (Rohr, 2024)
When our better self is concerned about our path to righteousness, we have the nudges of the Spirit to move us to seek reconciliation with the people we have hurt on our journey.
References
Cherney, M. (2024, February 22). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved February 23, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/022324.html
Ezekiel, CHAPTER 18. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 23, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ezekiel/18?21
Matthew, CHAPTER 5. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 23, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/5?20
Meditation on Matthew 5:20-26. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved February 23, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/02/23/900633/
Psalms, PSALM 130. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 23, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/130?1
Rohr, R. (2024, February 23). A New Liveliness — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 23, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-new-liveliness/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Do Not Be Angry, Be Reconciled. Wikipedia. Retrieved February 23, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=feb23
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