Psalm 98:1, 2-3AB, 3CD-4, 5-6
MT 5:20-26 Full Readings The feast of today, Corpus Christi is transferred to Sunday
Saint Barnabas, Apostle
Making Peace with each other
Jesus in today's Gospel tells us that if you are bringing your gifts to the altar and remember that you have something against your brother or sister, leave it on the altar and go first make peace with him or her and then come back and offer your gift.This is is a great teaching for us as Christians and gives the importance of living in peace with one another even before God.
As human beings, pretense is always our inclination. One can pretend that everything is OK while indeed at heart, he or she is full of sorrows, bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness.
Such a person can laugh with you, eat with you, go to church, offer big gifts and even become a leader in church, but inside him or her is full of unprocessed businesses with many people. It's quite unfortunate that even some die in such a state while we don't know.
God utterly doesn't not like such a person, God desires one who is in harmony with his or her brother or sister, for remember, if we claim to love God whom we cannot see, and hate a brother or sister, we are liars. Do dear Brethren, let us not pretend that we serve God while we have nobody even to talk to when we go back home. We are indeed wasting our time when we live like that and most probably our prayers will not be answered.
What God wants is that before coming to Him, we are in peace and love with each other. Remembered God is love and dwells where there is love, if we don't live in love and peace, then there is no God in us. Therefore, brethren, before you go to church forgive and make peace with everyone, before you offer, pay all the debts on your head, before you come in front of God to ask for forgiveness, forgive your fellows and then God will dwell in you and will answer your prayers.
All these virtues are which characterise us as Christians. We are seen to be Christians by our love, forgiveness, unity, mercy and concern for each other. Today's Gospel points out among many three ways how we should live as Christians: not being angry at one another, using constructive words not quarrels and insults towards each other and forgiving each other. This is what the first Christians had and were called Christians. Without these we are Christians by name.
Apostle, Barnabas, whose memorial we celebrate today, was a great companion of Paul and almost went with him in all his journeys spreading the word of God. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and showed all the Christian virtues and for this reason they were first called Christians at Antioch not because they named themselves, but it was the people who saw what they were doing and how they were living that they called them Christians. They did exactly what Jesus Christ was doing.
Our invitation today is to live the Christian virtues and values. The result of not living our Christian values is known to us, we shall lose heaven unless we make peace with our brothers and sisters and with God. Let us not be stubborn to admit that we have sinned and ask for forgiveness and then be free, if we remain in our obstinacy, we shall have to pay the last penny at the end (perhaps purgatory if we are lucky)
Brethren as you reflect today, if a Muslim comes from Arabia can he or she look at my life and say, 'Indeed this is a Christian?' Have you made peace with your brother or sister or a family member or a community member or a church member or any other who is your enemy? Who is your enemy or opponent? mention him or her and take a step to make peace with him or her. Are you feeling the burden of unforgiveness or resentment? Pray to God so that He may show you the way to free yourself from all these burdens and make you an exemplary Christian.
Let us Pray
Lord help me always to forgive and forget, use good words towards my brethren, and make peace with whoever I am living with so that my offering will be pleasing to you and obtain what I ask for. Amen
Be blessed
Lord help to forgive that person I swore never to forgive
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