REFLECTION

Dear friends my reflections on the readings of the today are mainly focused on three aspects.

1. Jesus
2. Anger
3. Reconciliation

1. Jesus:- First let us look to Jesus, His way of teaching, whole section of Mt: 5: 20 -48, Jesus speaks with an authority which no other man had ever dreamed, all those who came in contact with Him amazed. Because the people heard and saw something new. For the highly educated and rich it may be words of hurting, but for the people who were hopeless and suffered injustice it was wards of light.

Let us come to ourselves what is the importance of Jesus words in our life today. Through the words, with the same authority He speaks to us today, we don’t need to look or go in search of His teachings but look at our day today life. In each moment of our life He speaks to us, only we have to open our inner ears to listen Him and to prepare ourselves to do our future ministry.

2. Anger:- Jesus’ teaching was something new for the people those who heard Him. He said that in god’s sight it was not only the man who committed murder who was guilty; the man who was angry with his brother was also guilty. It was not only the man who committed adultery who was guilty; the man who allows the unclean desire to settle in his heart was also guilty. We have never struck a man, but who can say that he never wished to strike a man? It may be that we have never committed adultery, but who can say that he has never experienced the desire for the forbidden thing? Here Jesus says to us, that thoughts are just as important as our deeds.

Let us think about ourselves how ourattitudes towards our brothers is. Jesus calls us today to have a personality like His. In some extent every man is a split personality. There is a part of him which is attracted to good, and part of him which is attracted to evil. If a man has these two, he experiences an inner battle. Our life is always a conflict between the demands of the passions and the control of the reason. So far as there is inner tension, life must be insecure. We must come out this, the only way Jesus says to us eradicate the desire for the forbidden thing for ever.

In our day to day life we come across with two kinds of anger. The first one is the anger which quickly blazes up and which just as quickly dies down, It is an anger which rises speedily and which just as speedily passes. We don’t need to go for an example outside we see everything in our community. The second one is long-lived anger, it is the anger over which a person broods and which he will not allow to die. This is also called selfish anger; Jesus condemns this kind of anger. Anger in a man’s heart and anger in a man’s speech are equally forbidden.

We can not say that we don’t get anger. We need to get anger certain times. Jesus was anger at injustice, sin, unbelief and the exploitation of others. Here also we must be aware that we get anger for the right reasons. When we look at our society there are many things to get angry, the injustice, the exploitation of the poor but we close our ears and mouth towards these evils. But for simple things we get angry very soon to our brothers. Dear friends this day what Jesus tells us really is to think about our way of dealing to the evils our society. We need to think about ourselves as we prepare ourselves to offer to the service of the people. Don’t get anger for the silly things but use our energy to do good for our people, to bring justice, and to build a good community. Anger is good if it brings good to others and to us, we should not be selfish. Our anger should not put down our brothers and sisters but our anger should be for the betterment of other person or for the society, to bring good to us all. Christ should be our model.

3. Reconciliation:- Readings of today bring us to the main point of this season. This season is given to us to check ourselves, our relationship with God and with our fellow beings. How is our relationship with our brothers? God tells me through the fruit of my meditation that first I need to get good relationship with my brothers those who are with me and with my family members. This time is given to me to strengthen my dealing with my brothers. Jesus also teaches how we should make reconciliation with others. It is not enough to say mere words of forgiveness. It is very easy to say some words, but we need to look deep into our hearts, how we forgive? How is involvement of our heart when we say forgiveness. Externally we show up with artificial smile but what is going on inside of us, what is our inner feeling?

We can not be right with God until we are right with men, those who are around us; we can not hope for forgiveness until we have confessed our sin, not only to God, but also to men. We sometime wonder why our prayers seem unavailing. The reason may well be that we ourselves have made, through keeping ill thinking against our brothers. We should not worship God before ensuring that we are right with fellow brothers. We may think that we have nothing wrong, but Jesus says that if we are aware a man has something against us we are to go to him to try to be reconciled. This shows that we understand the Christian faith is about reconciliation rather than empty ritual. Christianity involves the reconciliation of man to God and man to man.

Dear friends let us be aware of ourselves how we put in practice the words of Christ. As Christians first in our lives should reflect the reconciliation. Our example should be a way for others to be reconciled with the others. And also we are the persons who are responsible to give good understanding to the people. It should happen through our life, through our each dealing with others. Let us pray to Jesus who reconciled men to God and of man to man through the sacrifice of His own life. May the God give us a meaningful life. Let us pray in this Eucharist for the grace to a good model for others that through our lives many may reconcile to God and to man.

From,

CHRISTY PETER SCJ
FIRST YEAR THEOLOGY STUDENT