Gospel: June 12, 2025
June 12, 2025 (Thursday)
10th Week in Ordinary Time
Psalter: Week 2 (Green/White)
Jesus the Eternal High Priest
Ps 85:9ab & 10 ,11-12, 13-14
The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land.
1st Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:15 – 4:1, 3-6
Up to this very day, whenever they read Moses, the veil remains over their understanding but, for whoever turns to the Lord, the veil shall be removed. The Lord is Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So, with unveiled faces, we all reflect the glory of the Lord, while we are transformed into his likeness, and experience his glory, more and more by the action of the Lord, who is Spirit.
Since this is our ministry, mercifully given to us, we do not weaken. In fact, if the gospel we proclaim remains obscure, it is obscure only for those who go to their own destruction. The god of this world has blinded the minds of these unbelievers, lest they see the radiance of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is God’s image. It is not ourselves we preach, but Christ Jesus, as Lord; and, for Jesus’ sake, we are your servants. God, who said, Let the light shine out of darkness, has also made the light shine in our hearts, to radiate, and to make known the glory of God, as it shines in the face of Christ.
Gospel: Matthew 5:20-26
I tell you, if your sense of right and wrong is not keener than that of the Lawyers and the Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard, that it was said to our people in the past: Do not commit murder; anyone who murders will have to face trial. But now, I tell you: whoever gets angry with a brother or sister will have to face trial. Whoever insults a brother or sister is liable, to be brought before the council.
Whoever calls a brother or sister “Fool!” is liable, of being thrown into the fire of hell. So, if you are about to offer your gift at the altar, and you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there, in front of the altar; go at once, and make peace with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift to God. Don’t forget this: be reconciled with your opponent quickly when you are together on the way to court. Otherwise he will turn you over to the judge, who will hand you over to the police, who will put you in jail. There, you will stay, until you have paid the last penny.
Reflection:
“Make peace with your brother.”
When I was a seminarian in Rome, I used to visit a tall, gentle American Benedictine for spiritual direction. Fr. Vincent had some very striking images. One was the “brain-bag.” He said, “Imagine you have a bag attached to the back of your head. Every time you grumble at someone or feel cross, you are putting an imaginary rock in your bag. Unless you empty the bag at the end of the day through prayer, you will go to sleep on a bag of rocks for your pillow.
You will have a terrible sleep and you will wake up even more grumpy, so your bag will just get bigger and bigger!” “Go at once, and make peace with your brother.” Rather than storing up grudges, we should try to get rid of them, not simply because it’s good for us (so we can get a good sleep!), but because it’s the right thing to do, and because it is good for our neighbor. If we store up past hurts, we’re less likely to forgive, and so we are to make peace quickly, so that we keep moving forward in love, rather than remaining stuck in the mud of resentment.
