Today, 17th of February, we celebrate
The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order
First Reading: Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9
Keep the commandments and your work will be complete.
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./ 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 will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
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.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 5:17-19
Whoever keeps and teaches the law will be called great
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.”
Accompanying in humility
“Whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” -Matthew 5:19
The theme of both readings of today is the Law. The Lord gives the Law to his people with an attitude of closeness. They are not the prescriptions of a far-away dictator. Our God is the God of nearness, a God who walks with his people and falls in love with his people. Falling in love is a phrase often used to refer to the love between life partners, where the lovers are willing to give in and give up everything else for the beloved. This love and closeness always bring with it some vulnerability.
Pope Francis develops this theme and says, ‘Walking with his people and falling in love with them, God makes Himself vulnerable. The closer He comes, the more vulnerable He seems. When He comes among us, to live with us, He makes himself a man, one of us: he makes himself weak and takes up that weakness to the point of death – the most cruel death, the death of the greatest sinners. He humiliates Himself to be with us, to walk with us, to help us.
How often in life do we simply go through the rituals of being Christians? Sitting in Mass on Sundays, saying a quick prayer at night before falling asleep, giving up sweets or Facebook for Lent without really thinking about what Lent is all about…and these make me feel happy for fulfilling my obligations of a good Christian. Jesus challenges us to move away from our superficialities to fully enter into a relationship with God. Following the commandments and observing the rituals of the Church alone do not make us faithful to Christ.
When I profess to be a Christian but ignore and forget the commandment of Christ to love my fellow brethren, am I not a hypocrite? Christ teaches us to love God through our love and concern for those around us. How often have we ignored them? Our regular attendance to the Sunday liturgy and external displays of religiosity would be a counter witnessing if we move about with a foul mouth, gossiping and deceiving those around us. Have you come across Christians who refuse to go back to the Church because of the anti-witnessing of the regular church-goers who scrupulously follow the rules?
If we want to follow Jesus and lead others towards Jesus, today’s Gospel has a proposal: Be close to our fellow brethren, fall in love with them and be vulnerable and humble. God wants us to accept the life proposal he sets before us and lead others into the same life principles; he wants us to be called the greatest in his Kingdom!
Bible Claret