6th Sunday of Ordinary Times
So is the mental attitude.....
The first reading tells us that we are free and we are accountable for our actions. The second reading speaks of the wisdom of God, so different from human wisdom; the Gospel gives some examples of this. The disciples do not ask Jesus to explain what he says. They believe in the love of the Father and they know that the way he shows them is the way to life.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls us to holiness. It is a holiness that must surpass that of the Scribes and Pharisees. Our holiness should not focus only on external fulfillment of the law, but must be the result of an internal transformation of our hearts. Also, Jesus warns us not only is murder wrong, but so is the mental attitude of hatred and unforgiveness that we may choose to carry around within us. Choosing to hold on to such feelings or evil thoughts will destroy one’s relationships with others. Our Lord is telling us we have to have control over our thoughts, we have to make good choices, because, for better or for worse, our thoughts are going to control us.
Today, Is there someone with whom you need to be reconciled? Bring that person before the Lord in your prayer. In 1961, St. Mother Teresa wrote a letter to her sisters: “We all want to do something beautiful for God…. Try to imagine all kinds of sacrifices and mortifications. Take your rules and try to live them with greater love for Jesus and with Jesus.” And, St. Vincent de Paul compares the rules to “wings to fly to God.” He goes on to say, “Keep your rules and you will become a saint, for they are holy in themselves, they also can make you holy.” Remember, what you think you become, what you feel you attract, and what you imagine you create. Therefore, your thoughts are the Architects of your destiny.
