1st Week of Lent (B) : Friday 23rd February 2024

In the early passage of today’s Gospel, Jesus stresses to His disciples the need to have a deeper virtue that confronts evil. Here He relates the close connection between anger and killing. For Jesus, anger must be tackled to evade worsening consequences.

Jesus cautions that the result of anger by cursing others with ‘degrading names’ can drag anyone to court which, in later life,  to the final judgement of hell fire (v22). Thus,  there is the need to nurture the deeper virtue of reconciliation.

Jesus gave an example to point out that fraternal reconciliation should take precedence over ritual sacrifice. He tells His disciples to seize the opportune good time, to rectify the relationship with amicable proposals and not with harsh judgments.

In prophet Ezekiel, the Lord has earlier heightened the possibility to amend destructive sinful life to a life of honesty and integrity. For the Lord God desires renunciation of wickedness.

The prevailing war between nations and civil war highlights the need for unceasing effort to a deeper virtue through renunciation and reconciliation. Our relationship with God is projected to the way we relate with others. God is not in favour of ritual sacrifice and pious practices but true renunciation and integrity to reconciliation.

 Dear Lord, help us to be ready to be reconciled with one another for such is the attitude You desire in our relationship with You and our fellow human beings.