In today's Gospel, Jesus raises the bar. The Ten Commandments are not the height to which we aspire. They are the bare minimum to which we may not pass. Jesus calls us to something more. Actually in order to enter heaven we are called to surpass the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees. We are called to go to the internal root that causes us to sin. The Torah says, "whoever kills will be liable to judgement." Jesus says, "whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment."
Jesus asks us to look at our hearts. What is in there that leads us to want to break the Commandments? Is there resentment, or irrational anger, or greed, or lust in my heart? All vices lead us to sin and are strengthened when we do. In order to root them out, we need to practice the opposite virtues. Practicing virtue requires God's help, which we call grace. We must avail ourselves to the sacraments as often as possible. If we truly want to walk the path of holiness - we need Jesus in the Eucharist often, we need to go to confession to allow Jesus to root out the vices with which we struggle, and we need the grace of prayer that deepens our relationship with God. All grace flows from the Passion, Death on the Cross, and Resurrection of Jesus (the Paschal Mystery). Preparing again to make the Paschal Mystery a deeper part of my life is the point of Lent. What can we do today to let Jesus root out the vices in our hearts through the Sacraments and Prayer? Beginning today - Daily Mass? A few weekly Masses? Weekly Confession? Daily Prayer? Weekly Fasting?
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Today's Gospel can be a difficult one for some of us. We all have situations for which we have asked something of God and did not receive it. How are we to reconcile our experience with this command and promise of Jesus?
I offer a couple of ideas for your own prayerful consideration. First, Jesus puts these three actions together: ask, seek, and knock. It seems to me that we have to do all three to really enter into the prayer that Jesus is calling us to. We must ask for the answer to our prayer, we must seek to entrust ourselves to God's will, and we must knock on the door of God's heart through our persistence. When all three of these actions make up our prayer we are better equipped to understand God's answer, especially if it is not the one we wanted. The three actions are acts of faith and trust in the Providential Wisdom of God. Second, I believe that we have to see God as a loving Father. A Father who wants to give His children what they need. What follows is a terribly weak analogy but worth considering: imagine a little child who needs a surgery but does not want it, is scared, and begs his daddy not to let it happen. His dad is heart broken but knows what is best for his child and has to do it for the ultimate good of his child. I believe faith and trust compel us to believe that God has a higher and more profound vantage point than we do, and that He only wants what is best for our ultimate good, which is our salvation. I do not think either one of these is the answer to the difficulty, but I do believe it gives us a starting point for trying to understand God's mysterious providence at work in our lives. If you are angry with God because He did not answer your prayer the way you wanted Him to answer it, please do not leave it at that. Bring it to prayer, talk to Him about the situation, about your anger, and allow Him to give you the answer. Continue to pray (talk to God) about the unanswered prayer, and trust that He desires your ultimate good. Keep asking, seeking, and knocking. "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who have trespassed against us;"
When Jesus speaks of the forgiveness of God, it is always conditional on our forgiveness of others. Later on in Matthew's Gospel (18:21) Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive someone, seven times? Jesus responds with I do not say seven times, but seventy times seven. In other words, we must forgive every time it is required. This seems humanly impossible, because I believe it is, naturally speaking. Forgiveness of others requires supernatural help, grace. Forgiveness is not reconciliation. Forgiveness is letting go of the wrong done to us by another with or without their asking for it. Reconciliation requires both persons to take steps to forgive and reestablish the relationship. Sometimes we are wronged by others without them even realizing or recognizing the hurt and pain they have caused. It is in these moments when we are angry and annoyed and hurt that forgiveness is the only answer. Forgiveness is not an event that happens, but a process that we go through with God. We have to surrender the person and the situation to Our Lord through prayer. That means we have to pray for that person and pray for God to help us forgive them as well. Here is a way to practice forgiveness with God. When the situation/person arises in your mind and heart and all the feelings of pain, hurt, and anger show up with it; you say, "God I pray for so-and-so bless them abundantly and help them to know your love and mercy in their lives. God help me to forgive them for this offense. I choose to forgive them, help me to experience this forgiveness. Help me to let go of the hurt that blocks me from experiencing more deeply your love and mercy for me. Me, who has been forgiven so often and for so much by You." It's not easy, but absolutely necessary and required by God. Try it and see if the tentacles of un-forgiveness don't begin to unravel from around your heart. Going on this journey of forgiveness with God will lead to an amazing freedom - a freedom that leads to joy and peace! |
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