Friday of the First Week of Lent
March 11, 2022
Daily Reading from the USCCB: Matthew 5:20-26
The Lenten change of heart is more than a matter of keeping the rules more exactly. In today’s Gospel Jesus tells his disciples that what we do may be much less important than what’s in our heart.
Holding a grudge against our neighbor can be just as serious as killing him. Being angry with our brother can constitute a capital offense against him. It doesn’t matter if we have serious and valid grounds for complaint against our neighbor. What matters is whether we are willing to be reconciled to the neighbor.
Jesus’ enemies were pretty good at keeping the rules. They weren’t so good at observing the heart and spirit of the rules. In what way are the rules important for me?
