Daily Reflection | Gospel Reading | RVA

Gospel: Matthew 5:38-42
You have heard, that it was said: An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I tell you this: do not oppose evil with evil; if someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn and offer the other. If someone sues you in court for your shirt, give him your coat as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give when asked, and do not turn your back on anyone who wants to borrow from you.

Reflections
“Do not turn your back on anyone.”Many people are not comfor­table with Jesus’ teaching on the Mount of Beatitudes that there should be no vengeance. That saying “an eye for eye,”“a tooth for a tooth,” should be replaced with a non-­violent stance “turning the other cheek.”Jesus challenges his followers to develop the ability to absorb hardships and physical injuries to stop the spiral of violence. He will later prove that this is do­ able when he endures the insults, blows, scourges and crucifixion on Mt. Calvary. It has salvific effect. If his followers are vindic­tive, how will they be different from their countrymen and the pagans? How will they gain follo­ wers of Christ? How will they com­municate to people that there is a better or humane way to cope with harsh situations? How will they form communities of love, understanding and forgiveness if they live the culture of vengeance and getting even.Vindictive people cannot de­velop long­ term friendships. They are avoided by people who do not want to start a war or engage in a meaningless conflict. Vindictive people are actually not protecting their dignity and freedom which they claim, but actually releasing their perceived power over others.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: John 16:12-15
I still have many things to tell you, but you cannot bear them now. When he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into the whole truth.For he will not speak of his own authority, but will speak what he hears, and he will tell you about the things which are to come. He will take what is mine and make it known to you; in doing this, he will glorify me. All that the Father has is mine; for this reason, I told you that the Spirit will take what is mine, and make it known to you.

Lectio Divina
READ: For Catholics and other religious persuasions, the belief in the Holy Trinity is non-­negotiable. The word “Trinity” is a simple theologi­cal term which captures the mystery of God. We all believe in one God, but in God, we also believe there are three divine persons, namely, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They are all divine and united as one community.
REFLECT: The belief in the Holy Trinity gives us the model for forming ecclesial commu­nities, religious congregations and the Church as a whole. We recognize the existence of the Trinity every time we make the sign of the cross, recite the Glory, Apostle’s Creed and many other prayers.
PRAY: Lord, Triune God, help me to live your mystery. I can best be a Christian if I believe in you. My Catholic faith falls apart once I deny your exis­tence. The Bible too becomes meaningless, if I do not appre­ciate your mystery.
ACT: Show that you really believe in the Holy Trinity by properly making the sign of the cross and reciting the prayers taught by the Church. Show also your belief by being in communion with the parish where you belong. You cannot live your faith alone.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Matthew 5:33-37
You have also heard that people were told in the past: Do not break your oath; an oath sworn to the Lord must be kept. But I tell you this: do not take oaths. Do not swear by the heavens, for they are God’s throne; nor by the earth, because it is his foot stool; nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great king. Do not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ anything else you say comes from the evil one.

Reflections
“An oath sworn to the Lord must be kept.”Jesus is aware of what people are expected to do when taking oath. They must do it. They must be serious about it. But Jesus unexpectedly does not want his disciples even to make oaths or promises with all the big props like heaven, earth, Jerusalem or small one like the hair. His followers are supposed to know what they are committed to.They should stand by their simple “Yes” or “No.” They should simply do it. One should not say “Yes” when he has no intention of doing it. One should also not say “No” when later he wants to do it. Christians should not make false or mixed signals to avoid confusion.Confusion is the work of the devil. Too bad that our culture forces us to commit to something which we are not convinced of. We participate in activities which at first we have not enlisted our­selves, causing confusion in our activities.Christians should be clear and decisive when making or not ma­king commitments to avoid false expectations. Christians should make good of their commitments to serve the church. It is uncharitable to disappear after declaring in public our availability to serve.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Matthew 5:27-32
You have heard that it was said: Do not commit adultery. But I tell you this: anyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent, has already committed adultery with her in his heart.So, if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away! It is much better for you to lose a part of your body, than to have your whole body thrown into hell. If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better for you to lose a part of your body, than to have your whole body thrown into hell.It was also said: Anyone who divorces his wife, must give her a written notice of divorce. But what I tell you is this: if a man divorces his wife, except in the case of unlawful union, he causes her to commit adultery. And the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Reflections
“Do not commit adultery.”Adultery is understood as committed when one makes love with another who is not his or her legitimate wife or husband. Here Jesus says adultery is already committed when one looks at another lustfully. Jesus raises the standard of how to look at one another from the point of view of God. Jesus teaches that other people, not only women, are not sex objects. They are humans in need of respect and God’s mercy. We treat one another with the in­herent dignity we have. It should not be compromised.To prevent from falling into temptation, Jesus proposes a hard saying, which of course, cannot be taken literally. Remove what makes you commit sin. It can be one’s eyes or hands. Why? Because punishment is severe. It is hell.Jesus is also against divorce. He does not like breakdown of marriages, a sacred institution since the beginning of human life. One cannot take a partner and separate from him or her and mar­ries another just like that.We can avoid marital problems if the parties are prepared to make lifelong commitment, by listening to the teachings of Christ and experts in family life. Jesus wants relationships not to foul up.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019