March 5, 2004 - Friday, 1st Week of Lent

Personal Responsibility  Eucharist and Reconciliation

Readings:
Ez 18:21-28; Ps 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-7a, 7bc-8; Mt 5:20-26

Introduction

Often we blame the community and “the system” for the evils of society and for the sins we commit. This shrugging off of responsibility is a timeless device of escape. Christ dealt with it and so did Ezekiel before him. Ezekiel tells us: you are personally responsible for your sins and you must repent; if so, God takes you back in his love. Jesus tells us: not the law but your personal attitude and intention counts. True worship does not consist in private, self-centered religious practice but in being committed to Christ’s task of reconciliation and service of people.

Opening Prayer

God of mercy and compassion,
you challenge us to be responsible
for the good and the evil we do
and you call us to conversion.
God, help us to face ourselves
that we may not use flimsy excuses
for covering up our wrongs.
Make us honest with ourselves,
and aware that we can always count on Jesus Christ
to be our guide and strength on the road to you,
now and for ever.

Scripture Readings

First Reading: Ez 18:21-28

Thus says the Lord God:
If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed,
if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just,
he shall surely live, he shall not die.
None of the crimes he committed shall be remembered against him;
he shall live because of the virtue he has practiced.
Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked?
says the Lord God.
Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way
that he may live?

And if the virtuous man turns from the path of virtue to do evil,
the same kind of abominable things that the wicked man does,
can he do this and still live?
None of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered,
because he has broken faith and committed sin;
because of this, he shall die.
You say, "The LORD's way is not fair!"
Hear now, house of Israel:
Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?
When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies,
it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.
But if the wicked, turning from the wickedness he has committed,
does what is right and just,
he shall preserve his life;
since he has turned away from all the sins that he committed,
he shall surely live, he shall not die.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-7a, 7bc-8

R (3) If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to my voice in supplication.
R If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?

If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
LORD, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
that you may be revered.
R If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?

I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
My soul waits for the LORD
more than sentinels wait for the dawn.
Let Israel wait for the LORD.
R If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?

For with the LORD is kindness
and with him is plenteous redemption;
And he will redeem Israel
from all their iniquities.
R If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?

Gospel Reading: Mt 5:20-26

Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you, then, that if you are not righteous in a much broader way than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.

"You have heard that it was said to our people in the past: Do not commit murder; anyone who does kill will have to face trial. But now I tell you: whoever gets angry with a brother or sister will have to face trial. Whoever insults a brother or sister deserves to be brought before the council; whoever calls a brother or a sister "Fool" deserves to be thrown into the fire of hell. So, if you are about to offer your gift at the altar and you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with him, and then come back and offer your gift to God.

"Don't forget this: be reconciled with your opponent quickly when you are together on the way to court. Otherwise he will turn you over to the judge, who will hand you over to the police, who will put you in jail. There you will stay, until you have paid the last penny."

Commentary

THE Pharisees were "the Separated." They had retreated to a narrow place and taken refuge there. That narrow place was the Law and its rigorous application to the details of daily life.

Against them, in today's reading, Jesus asserts the necessity of deep interiority: our actions ought to flow from the heart, the center of our being.

It is hard for us to occupy the whole space of our religion. We are able to make interiority in turn a narrow place. Perhaps this is the most common temptation today: to take refuge in an inner private world, ignoring the outer.

Buddhists take refuge in "the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha." That is, the Buddha, the teaching and the community. Adapting this to ourselves, we might say, "I take refuge in God, in Jesus (the Word) and in the Church."

General Intercessions

–   For the Church, that it may be a merciful Church that takes its task of reconciliation seriously and keeps forgiving its erring members with patience, we pray:

–   For all of us, that we dare to take the first step to forgive when others have hurt us, we pray:

–   For our communities, that the eucharist may prompt us to forgive one another and to care for people who go astray, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Merciful Father,
your Son Jesus comes among us
to reconcile us with you.
May he stay with us
to carry out in the world
your mission of reconciling people
with you and with one another.
Give us the courage of the humility
to seek pardon and peace
from anyone we may have offended,
in the strength of Jesus Christ,
your Son and our Lord for ever.

Prayer after Communion

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
you ask us to be personally responsible
for our own deeds
and for our share in those of the community.
May this eucharistic celebration
be a source of insight and strength
to take up our tasks as followers of Jesus.
May our deeds match our words
and may we thus express
our thanks and love to you,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing

Resentment and grudge-bearing is not for us Christians, however much we may have been hurt. We are forgiven people, and therefore we should be forgiving people, with the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

TOP