Amala William csc –
Readings: 1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-16; Mt 5:27-32
In the first reading, Prophet Elijah encounters God in the sound of a whisper. Later, God uses him as his minister to anoint people of different nations. In the gospel, Jesus teaches his disciples something new, not entirely new but an evolution from the old laws.
The readings of the day invite us to be righteous before God. Always, we present ourselves as righteous before people of our culture for their acceptance. What matters for God is being righteous in his presence. We come across Elijah as a righteous person in the eyes of God, therefore he got an opportunity to see God. His humility to acknowledge the situation enabled him get help from God.
Today, we are living in a consumerist society, where we want to possess attractive objects or any new arrivals in the market. In the process, we tend to run after money and lose human virtues. To be righteous, we need to chisel our habits which is the base for our character.
Jesus’ teachings are to lead us to that radical way of living our lives. It demands us to forego evil for the good. The primary duty to live a life of Christ is to keep one’s heart and mind unblemished.
It is to say to eliminate the evil from oneself and live a life that pleases God. Through our baptism we are made anew in the person of Christ. Therefore, it is our duty to maintain the sanctity of this
body and spread holiness through our lives.