Called by the Holy Spirit, we gather together today in praise and thanksgiving to worship the Lord. We sing “Alleluia” as an accla-
mation of joy to greet our Lord as he speaks to us in the Gospel. But in just a few days we will pause this joyous exclamation. On Wednesday, Lent will begin and we will take our annual opportunity to focus on our sinfulness, our need for forgiveness, and the sacrificial suffering and death of our Lord. May the joy of our faith in the risen Lord sustain us during the coming penitential season.
Introduction to the Liturgy of the Word
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” we hear God say to Moses in the first reading. Love of neighbor, we realize, is one of two foundational principles of the entire law. Just as we did last week, we go on to hear how Jesus broadens and deepens this ancient instruction. Returning to God’s holy mountain for Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, let us learn from the master teacher just as his first disciples did two thousand years ago.
Reflections
Our culture tends to value a show of strength and tends to assess our strength by the amount of force we have. When someone hurts us, we’re expected to fight back. We say that our anger is justified. We say that the only way to teach the wrongdoer a lesson is to hurt them. We say that we should get even. Heroes like Gandhi and King modeled a different response: nonviolent resistance. Instead of fighting fire with fire when they were provoked, they turned the other cheek. They exhibited greater inner strength by courageously standing up not only to their violent opponents but also to their own powerful emotions.
Anger and hatred can poison our hearts when they are left to fester. Some would say it’s better to release them, whether in the form of a violent action, a hurtful word, or some sort of revenge. But releasing these emotions does not overcome them and it can escalate the situation. Jesus calls his disciples—us—to cleanse our hearts of negative emotions. Last week we heard him tell us to replace anger with the determination to be reconciled with one another. Today we hear him tell us to replace hatred with love. We are challenged to be countercultural.
“Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy,” the LORD told Moses (Leviticus 19:2). “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect,” Jesus tells his disciples (Matthew 5:48). How can we be holy or perfect? Isn’t this too much to ask anyone? Let us recall, though, that we are created in the image of God. Let us also recall that the Holy Spirit dwells in us, as Paul instructed the Corinthians. Though humanity has sinned, and we have sinned, we still are temples of God. God desires that we allow the Spirit within us to shine through our sinfulness.
Question of the Week
When do I get angry and respond unkindly to provocation? How can I overcome these triggers?
-from Pastoral Patterns
readings of the mass
LISTEN HEREto the Audio Recordings of the Readings of Sunday, February 19, 2023
SELECT HEREfor the Readings of Sunday, February 19, 2023
Offerings
The Sunday offerings are a portion of our blessings that we give to God (Church) in gratitude to what God has done for us...ONLINE GIVING OPTIONS
