Message of Abbot Paul - Friday 11th March
Message from Fr Paul for Friday, 11th March 2022
The situation in Ukraine gets worse by the hour. Can more not be done to bring this senseless destruction of a nation to an end? As one of the besieged inhabitants of Mariupol said yesterday, “This is not war any more. It is not army against army. It is carpet bombing. It is Russia against humanity.” On Monday we held a prayer vigil at Belmont, as in so many other churches throughout the world. This evening there is a prayer vigil for Peace in Ukraine beginning at 7pm at St Francis Xavier, Hereford, and on Saturday a prayer vigil at Our Lady’s from 8am to 8pm. At Belmont we will hold another prayer vigil on 25th March, the Solemnity of the Annunciation. “Lord God, listen to our prayers and let our cries for help reach you.” It’s heartening to read of the opposition movement to the war in Ukraine of Russian Orthodox priests, monks, abbots and bishops, “Priests for Peace.”
Our Gospel reading for today comes once again from the Sermon on the Mount, a popular reading in Lent. Here, (Mt 5: 20-26), Jesus speaks of reconciliation and forgiveness, but he begins with a reference to the scribes and Pharisees.
“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.
‘You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not kill; and if anyone does kill, he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you: anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court; if a man calls his brother “Fool” he will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and if a man calls him “Renegade” he will answer for it in hell fire. So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.’”
The scribes, or doctors of the law, and Pharisees were, in fact, good law-abiding people. They were learned and well-educated. This is what Jesus is referring to in this passage. His disciples must become even more perfect, for the literal observance of the law isn’t enough, no, they must go deep into the heart of the law, to God’s intentions. He then gives us some examples of what he means. The commandments speak of killing being a grave sin, but by extension, says Jesus, hatred and any act of hate, anger and any act of anger and so on are likewise sins against the commandment, ‘Do not kill.” It’s not simply the literal meaning, the killing of the body, that is a sin, but killing a person’s good name, hatred, anger, jealousy, envy and so on. He then goes on to talk about reconciliation and how it is impossible to pray or offer sacrifice, in modern terms, take Holy Communion or celebrate Mass, if we are unreconciled with our family and others, indeed with all men and women.
Lord, help us to go deep into each of the commandments and see how much of what we do without thinking can be sinful. Lord, forgive us our sins and bring light to our minds that we may walk in your ways according to your law of love. Amen.
