Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” Later in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus explains what he means by this fulfillment. “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matt. 22:37-40). Today’s text ends with a summons to obey and teach God’s commandments. Let us pray for the grace to more fully surrender our lives to the Father’s will that we might live lives ordered by the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus assures us, “until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.” Then, he gives a sobering admonishment, “Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.” This strong statement of our Lord provides a good basis for an Examination of Conscience. Let’s ask ourselves, are there areas of my life in which I am violating God’s Word and by my example or my words leading others to do the same?
Jesus goes on with a summons, “But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” What does it look like to obey and teach God’s commandments, God’s Word? I think St Anthony of Padua offers great insight. Here is an excerpt from one of his sermons:
“The [man] who is filled with the Holy Spirit speaks in different languages. These different languages are different ways of witnessing to Christ, such as humility, poverty, patience and obedience; we speak in those languages when we reveal in ourselves these virtues to others. Actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak.”
Let your words teach and your actions speak – that’s powerful! We are a people formed by God’s Word; from this formation flows fruitful living. We are a Eucharistic people; as we are united with Christ in the Eucharist, we become what we eat. We live as Kingdom people when we live in this way, allowing Christ to be evident to all by our lives.
St Anthony continues in his sermon:
“We should speak, then, as the Holy Spirit gives us the gift of speech. Our humble and sincere request to the Spirit for ourselves should be that we may bring the day of Pentecost to fulfillment, insofar as he infuses us with his grace, by using our bodily senses in a perfect manner and by keeping the commandments.”
This is the Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time, but we can, and I think should, think of this as the Season of Pentecost. We recently celebrated that major Feast, so let us not neglect the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is the Spirit who gives us the ability to follow Christ’s directive to obey and teach the commandments. Let us pray for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit today so that we might be empowered and enlivened to know and do the Father’s will.
I like to think of the Kingdom of heaven as “anywhere that Christ is King.” Obviously, Christ is King of the Universe – Christ is King everywhere and eternally. One specific place where Christ is King is in my heart and of my life. Can you say that about Jesus the Christ today? If not, pray for the graces you need to allow Christ to be your King. A simple prayer might be, “Jesus Christ the King, come and reign from the throne of my life.” We have to surrender our personal need for control in order to allow Christ to be our King. We must exercise rule over ourselves. We rule ourselves when, as an act of our will, we surrender our will to God’s. Let us today proclaim Christ as King, and let us be Kingdom ambassadors, helping to bring the Kingdom of heaven to earth by teaching and obeying God’s Word through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen, alleluia!
-Elizabeth Wells