7th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A Theme:Charter of Holy living 23-02-2014

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year 1 Theme: Charter of Holy Living 23-02-2014 1st Reading Lev. 19:1-2, 17-18 loving neighbor is like loving invisible God. 2nd Reading 1 Cor 3:16-23 We belong to God, his Temple. Gospel Mt 5:38-48 Loving all without distinction. Laws are made to rule life of human beings. The Rule of Hammurabi, The Rule of Manu, The Ten Commandments. This are systematic legal code guide the human society. Jesus entry into this human nature changed the whole rule. Jesus revolutionized the whole legal system. His commandment was a commandment of Love. Today we will meditate on this ideal. All the three readings of today’s liturgy, are indicating to the fact of law. The first one taken from the Leviticus speaks of the substantiality of natural law. The natural law became codified by revelation. Moses had a vision where God appeared to him in the burning bush. He gave him the ten commandments written on stone tablet. The OT testifies of this fact in many places. There too the insistence of love towards neighbor is indicated. The rule which was legal become personal during the life of Jesus. He tells his hearers that they have to live this in forgiveness. Jesus gives a new meaning for forgiveness. He revolutionizes the whole system by being seemingly a victim to the injustice. But to the point of fact he simply expresses the nature of human being to be kind and compassionate. He asks us to understand to be sympathetic, to be harmonious peace loving. That is what a non believer Mohan Chand Karam Chand Gandhi understood. He was able to discern the value of ahimsa. The law of love, he called “Non violence”. What Jesus says when some one strikes you give the other cheek. This is not meek acceptance but a moral opposition. Jesus demonstrate this in the court of High priest, when he was in fact struck unjustly. He asked boldly questioned them the reason for their striking him. Do we have the moral convictions to do the same in the world we live? To be able to see this clearly we see in the first, St. Paul’s letter to Corinthian’s. Paul Shows that the presence of the Spirit in us makes us to be temple of God. What an honor. Do we realize that we are temples. Do we see his presence as an honor???? Let us sit in silence and accept the incoming of God in our hearts during this Eucharist. Then we can be sure. The Charter we live and believe in is the charter of freedom. Let us live this as people who have been freed to be children of freedom. In union with the divine word, Fr. Juze Vas svd