Gospel Reflection for Families | Matthew 5: 17-37
Rules are meant to be…followed/broken?
We can learn a bit about ourselves by how we answer this question. This Sunday’s Gospel challenges both responses. Choose your adventure/reflection…
Reflection I:
Rules are meant to be followed…
Isn’t this obvious? Catholics are in the tradition of the book of Leviticus and the 10 Commandments! The 1st reading from Sirach says, “If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you”. Jesus himself says that “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.”
What does it mean that Jesus is going to fulfill the law? Jesus is not a safe/law-abiding Savior; remember this is the guy who picked grain on the Sabbath (a violation of the law). In today’s Gospel Jesus constantly overstep the law. What had been laid out as laws are no longer good enough. When Jesus says that he fulfills the law it means that all laws are in need of re-interpretation through his words and example; they are subjugated to He who is the Law of Love. It is not enough for us to follow commands, machines can do that, we are called to be radical in loving which sometimes means overstepping the safety of rules.
Discuss/Reflect:
-Who is someone you will encounter this week
who you have a hard time loving?
who you have a hard time loving?
-What is something outside of your box that you can do
to love that person this week?
to love that person this week?
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