Holy Mass presided by Fr. Raymond Kyaw Aung
Gospel Reflection MT 5:20-26 : Better Persons through Reconciliation
Is there any leader or father or mother or teacher who does not want his/her followers or sons or daughters or students to be better persons in society or in the world? I think “NO.” Every good leader or father or mother or teacher wants his/her followers or sons or daughters or students to be better persons. There are many parents who want their children to be better than they are.
I have my friend priest. His parents came from poor families and even could not finish elementary school when they were very young. They could not study until they finished elementary school due to poverty. When they got married, they had three children; one girl and two boys. Although they could not finish their elementary school in childhood, they wanted their children not to be like them: uneducated persons.
They, therefore, supported their children until they graduated. Their elder daughter even became a nun and their middle son became a priest. They could make their children better than they were because they wanted their children to be like that. Even their youngest son wanted to enter seminary to become a priest. But they did not allow him to enter seminary because they were afraid of losing their future generations. My point here is that good leaders or parents or teachers in the world want their followers or children or students to be better than they are.
Even the mother of James and John requested Jesus for her sons to be sitted at the right and left sides of Jesus (Mt. 20: 21). A good mother wanted her sons to get high positions.
Today’s gospel tells us that likewise, Jesus is a good teacher to his disciples. He reminded his disciples to be more righteous than the scribes and Pharisees were. He wanted his disciples’ righteousness to surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees. It expresses us that Jesus is really a good master who always teaches his disciples and us to be the better persons who show good examples to other people.
Jesus wanted his disciples and us to be good exemplars through reconciliation. He taught them not only to kill but also not to be angry with their brothers and sisters, and they were urged to reconcile with their brothers and sisters as well.
Nowadays, physical killing is very rare case in society, I think. But mental or psychological killing is popular case. Physical killing means “killing someone’s body.” Psychological killing is “killing someone’s life.” One of killing someone’s life is gossiping about someone from behind his/her back. That is why last year in this month Pope Francis encouraged us, Catholics, to stop gossiping and ruminating on the shortcomings of other people, and to instead concentrate on repenting of our own sins.
The Pope said, “The Lord wants to teach us not to criticize others, not to look at the defects of others: look first at yours, your faults” quoted in Catholic News Agency published on March 3, 2019.
God knows that we are weak and having many weaknesses. He knows our every weakness. For this reason, He gives us time to repent and to reconcile. Let us try to make more efforts for our spiritual preparations in this Lenten time.
During this Lenten season let us look at our faults and be reconciled with our brothers and sisters to whom we killed in gossiping and ruminating on their shortcomings. Instead of anger, patience; instead of gossip, sympathy; instead of contempt, respect; instead of revenge, reconciliation. Then and only then, we will be better persons for other people and for God.
God bless you all!
Prepared by Fr. Raymond Kyaw Aung
RVA Pwo Karen Service
