One Minute Reflection – 16 June – Saturday of the Tenth week in Ordinary Time, Year B – Today’s Gospel Matthew 5:33-37
“Again you have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”…Matthew 5:33-37
REFLECTION – “Again the Law says: “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,” (Ex 21:24) but Our Lord admonishes us not only to bear patiently the blows of one who strikes us but humbly to turn to him the other cheek. (Mt 5:39) And so the object of the Law is to teach us not to do to others what we do not wish to suffer and, therefore, it cuts away our wrong-doing, through our fear of suffering. But now the object must be, to cast away our hatred, our love of pleasure, our vainglory and the rest of our unruly desires.
I repeat that the aim of Christ, our Master, is precisely to teach us how we come to commit all our sins; how we fall into evils. First He sets us free, through holy baptism, giving us the forgiveness of our sins, then He gives us the power to do good, if we desire it and no longer to be dragged down into sin, so to speak, by force.”…St Dorotheus of Gaza (c 500-c 565), monk in Palestine – Instructions, no. 1, 6-8 ; SC 92
PRAYER – True Light of the world, Lord Jesus Christ, as You enlighten all men for their salvation, give us Your grace, we pray to herald Your coming by preparing the ways of justice and of peace. Grant, that St Benno of Meissen, who has gone before us, may by his prayers intercede for us all. We pray to You Lord Jesus, Who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
AnaStpaul 