Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not
think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come
not to abolish but to fulfill. -Matthew 5:17
BLESSINGS FOR OBEDIENCE
My four-year-old daughter can be stubborn and disobedient at times.
Consequently, what could have been accomplished in a few minutes — like
finishing her food — can go beyond an hour.
In the Bible, we know the story of the Israelites who wandered in the
desert for 40 years before they entered the Promised Land. This is
what’s astonishing: it takes only two weeks to travel from Canaan to the
Promised Land.
So why did it take them 40 years? Because of their hardheadedness, God
sentenced that entire generation to die before Israel could set foot in
their destination.
God allowed them to experience famine in the desert and many trials so
they would learn that it wasn’t food but God’s Word that would keep them
alive. Read the Bible and you’ll discover the importance that God puts
in obeying Him.
God has a beautiful and powerful promise to those who listen and obey His Word: an abundance of blessings await them!
Are you ready to obey Him? Then get ready to be blessed! Rissa Singson-Kawpeng
1ST READING
Memory
is a very important faculty for human beings, both in our day-to-day
lives as well as in religion. Moses reminds the people that they must
remember all the mighty deeds the Lord has done for them. Why? The
answer is very simple. If we remember all that God has done for us and
keep it close to our consciousness, we will always be aware that our
faith demands a response to the goodness of God.
Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9
1 Moses
spoke to the people and said: “Now, Israel, hear the statutes and
decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may
enter in and take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your
fathers, is giving you. 5 Therefore,
I teach you the statutes and decrees as the Lord, my God, has commanded
me, that you may observe them in the land you are entering to occupy. 6 Observe
them carefully, for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom and
intelligence to the nations, who will hear of all these statutes and
say, ‘This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.’ 7 For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? 8 Or what great nation has statutes and decrees that are as just as this whole law which I am setting before you today? 9 “However,
take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which
your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your memory as long as
you live, but teach them to your children and to your children’s
children.
P S A L M
Psalm 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20
R: Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
12 Glorify the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion. 13 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; he has blessed your children within you. (R) 15 He sends forth his command to the earth; swiftly runs his word! 16 He spreads snow like wool; frost he strews like ashes. (R) 19 He has proclaimed his word to Jacob, his statutes and his ordinances to Israel. 20 He has not done thus for any other nation; his ordinances he has not made known to them. (R)
GOSPEL
Jesus
is not an anarchist nor is He bent on destroying anything except sin.
He challenges the current Jewish interpretation of the Law and provides
an alternative understanding of it — one based much more on compassion
and love — but He does not abolish it. Jesus wants the people to
understand the priority of God’s love and mercy and do away with an
understanding of the law that places it above the person. The Law is
there to serve us, not rule us.
Matthew 5:17-19
17 Jesus
said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the
law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 Amen,
I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter
or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all
things have taken place. 19 Therefore,
whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches
others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But
whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in
the kingdom of heaven.
REFLECTION
ARE YOU A "WATCHENER"?
I
was on a long trip one time and I turned on the radio. I tuned in to a
station where there was a live DJ talking, who at least kept me company
as I was getting bored. The lady began reading out text messages sent to
the station. Her words of thanks caught my attention. She said, “Thanks
once again to all our ‘watcheners’ for keeping us company!”
I don’t know if I spelled it right but that is the word I heard:
watcheners. It was the first time I heard that word and then after some
thought I realized that radio programs now are no longer just auditory;
they also can be viewed now through the Internet via live streaming.
One does not only listen to DJs. One can also observe everything that is
going on in the radio booth. Watchener. You do not only listen. You
also watch. You observe. This is actually what God, through Moses, is
telling the Israelites of that time. Only, Moses did not have the single
vocabulary to say so. “Now Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I
am teaching you… Observe them carefully…”
Notice how God paired listening and observing together. Observing in
biblical language is not only watching with the eyes. Observing is actually
the engagement of the whole person, i.e., acting on God’s Word:
“Observe them carefully, for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom
and intelligence to the nations, who will hear of all these statutes…”
Listening and observing are inseparable in Christian spirituality. Our
worship is built around these. At the beginning of the Holy Mass, we
listen to God’s Word. In the homily, the presiding priest “breaks” the
Word, that its wisdom may be unleashed and its power inspire us to
Christian action. In the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we are counseled, “Do
this in memory of Me.” And having been nourished by the Body of the
Lord, we are sent to “Christify” the world with our Christian witness,
“The Mass is ended. Go and proclaim the Good News.” Thus we become true
watcheners of the Word. Fr. Joel Jason
"Help me to listen to Your Word, Lord, and act upon Your teachings, make me an obedient child of yours."
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