Father Rick’s Two Minute Homily for Wednesday, 3/22/2022

BEING GREAT IN THE EYES OF THE LORD.

Jesus tells us in today’s gospel that He came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. Sadly, society is abolishing God’s Law to suit itself. Moral relativism says, “If it suits me, seems right and good to me, then it is ok.” This is one of the causes of division in our country. Everyone who agrees with me is right, and everyone else is wrong. With no higher authority to base my values on than myself, society, i.e. how we relate to each other, is in a spiral downfall that will ultimately crash. Violence takes over, just as it does in an individual. It matters not who gets hurt. It’s all about me.

Jesus said in the gospel that He came not to abolish the Law God gave us but to fulfill it in us. When the occasion arises to please me before I please God, I fall into the trap – if it seems fitting to me at the time, it’s good. An example is the third commandment, keep holy the Sabbath.

If I don’t feel like going to Mass on the weekend or if my child has a sporting event at Mass, it’s ok to miss it. Other people do. I abandoned God’s Law that Jesus came to fulfill in us, and now I live by my Law. This Law governs my decisions from the first moment I decided not to keep God’s day holy for my family and me.

 So it goes. We do this anytime I put myself before God and others. But the fantastic thing about it is that the Lord wants to be with me so much. His mercy is waiting to embrace me when I turn to Him in sorrow. My sorrow, His grace, turns me around (repentance) to what pleases Him and opens the door to live not for myself but for Him (2:Corinthians 5:15)

Where do I need to repent and live again for God? Be great in the eyes of the Lord.

IGNITE THE FIRE

Fr. Rick Pilger, IC

www.bscchurch.com