Friday 26th February, 2010
Day of penance. Ezekiel 18:21-28. If you, O Lord, laid bare our guilt, who could endure it?—Ps 129(130). Matthew 5:20-26.

  
Meditation: mp3 | podcast
Readings: Text | mp3 | podcast

If you, O Lord, laid bare our guilt, who could endure it?

During Lent, we are called upon to look into our hearts and to renew our attitudes. To expand a little on Ezekiel’s teaching: ‘It is not what we do’; but, more to the point, ‘it is why we do it’.

In Matthew’s gospel today, Jesus reminds us very strongly that there are many ways of committing murder—we can do it in our hearts, through anger, being derisive towards others, wishing harm to them. More importantly, it is the harbouring of these feelings that is the real trouble. How difficult is it for us to honestly forgive others? How literally should we take Jesus’ teaching about this? Do we have to get up during Mass and make peace with those against whom we harbour bad feelings? Jesus uses some pretty strong language about coming to terms with our ‘opponent’.

The Entrance Antiphon today helps us to realise that only God can aid us to change our hearts, our attitudes: ‘Lord, deliver me from my distress. See my hardship and my poverty, and pardon all my sins.’