Wednesday, Third Week of Lent

Daily Readings for Lent
Today's readings: March 10, 2010
First Reading: Dt 4:1, 5-9;
Responsorial Psalm: 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20 ;
Gospel: Mt 20:17-28 ;

And here's an audio file and a video of a priest offering reflections.

First Reading:  Dt 4:1, 5-9
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.
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.
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.’
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?
Or what great nation has statutes and decrees
that are as just as this whole law
which I am setting before you today?
“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.”

Responsorial Psalm  147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20
R.          Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R.        Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
He spreads snow like wool;
frost he strews like ashes.
R.        Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them.
R.        Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

Gospel   Mt 5:17-19
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.
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.
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.”

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Commentary: eh, yeh yeh.  When we get into these types of readings, it often seems like all I can do is upset people. The funny thing about rules and culture, from a historical standpoint - is that since people have been writing about their world, society goes from doing a better job of following rules, to re-writing the rules, paying the price, and then returning to doing a better job of having more defined rules.

There's a comment I remember that said it very well. I could not find the quote, or who said it... but it basically went lke this. We do not like rules, because they hurt. We make rules, because breaking these rules hurts a lot more.

Jesus gave us just two rules. 1) Love God with all your heart, mind and soul. 2) Love each other as I loved you. That's it. But when you get older and a bit wiser, and learn the consequences of writing your own rule script - you realize that all those old rules in the 10 commandments, did not go away. Jesus just simplified it. And, once you understand that God and man did not make rules to inhibit you, but to help you live more full and fruitful lives, it is easier to accept them. The rules were created not to limit you, but for the love of you. Now - just so you do not think I am being self righteous about all this, do as Jesus says, not as I do, or have done. Thank God for His mercy.