True worship, pleasing to God,  involve reconciliation.

Empathy and Listening: Sincerely listening to

the other party’s perspective to understand the impact of the actions.

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Ezekiel 18:21-28

If the sinner

Turns from his sin, observes my decrees and practices what is right and just, he will live; he will not die.

None of the sins he committed will be charged against him; he will live,

as a consequence of his righteous deeds. Do I want the death of the sinner? -word of Yahweh.

Do I not, rather, want him to turn from his ways and live?

 

But if the righteous man turns away from what is good, and commits sins as the wicked do, will he live?

His righteous deeds will no longer be credited to him; but he will die, because of his infidelity and his sins.

But you say: Yahweh's way is not just! Why, Israel! Is my position wrong?

 

Is it not rather that yours is wrong? If the righteous man turns from his righteous deeds,

and sins, then he dies, because of his sins. And if the wicked man does what is good and right,

after turning from the sins he committed, he will save his life. He will live and not die,

because he has opened his eyes; and turned from the sins he had committed.

 

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

If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

Matthew 5:20-26

I tell you, if your sense of right and wrong is not keener

than that of the lawyers and the Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

You have heard that it was said to our people in the past: Do not commit murder;

anyone who murders 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 is liable to be brought before the council.

 

Whoever calls a brother or sister “Fool” is liable 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 your brother, 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.

 

Gospel Reflection ：

God is Love

In today's Gospel, Jesus calls us to embrace a deeper and more profound understanding of righteousness.

During His time, the Pharisees emphasized strict adherence to the law to attain justice before God.

However, this often resulted in a rigid and burdensome legalism that caused distress among the people.

By addressing "anger" as a basis for judgment, Jesus introduces a transformative perspective on righteousness.

 

He seeks to eliminate the root causes of actions like murder, including hatred,

vengeance, insults, and other harmful intentions. This teaching highlights that true worship,

which is pleasing to God, involves reconciliation

with those we are in conflict with, fostering harmony and love.

 

Saint Matthew enlightens us today with Jesus's words about the importance of dialogue.

Only through dialogue do we accept and understand one another, fostering reconciliation among us.

Let us remember that our God is Love, and we are called to embody this

by offering forgiveness and reconciliation to others.

May the loving and forgiving Lord grant us the courage to forgive and to be forgiven before it is too late.