RECONCILIATION FREES US FROM ANGER - 06/15/23 (Thursday of the 10th Week In Ordinary Time)

Matthew 5:22-24

But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to l the altar and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061523.cfm

Blessed Thursday! As we prepare for the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus tomorrow, it's important for us to reflect on the disposition of our hearts today. The Heart of Jesus is full of love, mercy and peace. How about ours? Are our hearts also filled with compassion? Or, is anger dwelling inside of us? In today's gospel reading, our Lord Jesus has some strong words against anger. Why? It's because of His love. The sin of anger, that is, the intentional action of dwelling on this strong emotion and desiring what is bad for others is displeasing to our Lord. This is contrary to the purity of love. When we love someone, we desire to be united with our beloved. The same is true when we are called to love God. Union with our Lord enables us to be transformed and be more like Him, and through this, we can reflect the love of Christ to other people. As such, when we see the teachings of Christ against anger, this is not merely a random rule, but we should look at it in terms of our relationship with Him. 

For example, our Lord tells us that those who say, "You fool" and "Raqa" will be liable to fiery Gehenna, a reference to hell. The instructions of Jesus are not just contrary to those two words but to the use of inappropriate language, foul words, and degrading words towards one another. Our Savior has given us a new commandment which is to love one another as He loves us. And, never have we ever heard our Lord saying inappropriate words, insults and personal attacks to us. Instead, when we listen to His voice in our hearts as we pray, He inspires us, He motivates us, and He encourages us with gentleness. We should also not neglect the danger of losing our salvation when we are intentionally dwelling on our hatred with other people. When we use our freedom to love God, we will choose to obey Him and to accept His gift of eternal life and heaven. But, we should also realize that there is a real possibility for a person to reject the teachings of Christ, and as a result, reject the gift of salvation. It may be difficult for us to be freed from anger, but with the help of God, this is possible, and the way to do it is through reconciliation with God and with our neighbors. 

The sacrament of confession is also known as the sacrament of reconciliation. It's because through this sacrament, our relationship with God is reconciled, and we return to the state of grace, despite breaking that relationship due to our mortal sins. This sacrament enables us to be humble, which will cure us from pride causing anger, and the more that we see God's forgiveness and love, the more that we can share this with other people. At the same time, we should not neglect the importance of prayers. Our Lord allows us to recall some painful events in our lives, not for us to turn away from them, but for us to reflect on it in His presence. How much have we suffered from the faults of other people? How do their actions change us? What are the reasons that made us feel anger and what are our thoughts towards other people? Let's not be afraid to speak to God about these important things, and let's forgive one another in our prayers. And, may we also reflect on how to speak to them, to those whom we have offended or those who offend us, for us to be reconciled with them. May we ask God on how we can be gentle with them and loving towards them. The glory of God will dwell within us when we allow His peace and love to transform us. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth