The Word in Liturgy
Leviticus 19: 1-2. 17-18
Psalm 103: 1-2, 3-4, 8,10, 12-13
1 Corinthians 3: 16-23
Matthew 5: 38-48
God commands Moses to tell the people they must attempt to be holy as God is holy. Indeed, the Lord has high expectations for his people. They are to love one another as God loves them
Paul reminds the Corinthian community that the Holy Spirit dwells within them. He urges them to be built up into a new sort of temple, a living sacrifice of praise to God who claims us as his own.
We continue this Sunday to hear from Matthew’s Gospel account of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is commenting on the Mosaic Law and some of the key Commandments found within it. Jesus’ preaching does not devalue the old law. Instead his preaching releases the hidden potential within the law. Jesus makes clear that authentic observance begins in the heart. It then proceeds outward, manifesting the virtues of faith, hope and charity. These Theological Virtues shine forth in believers’ relationships, choices and ways of acting. In short, followers of Jesus are to cultivate holiness in every aspect of their lives.
The gift of holiness is showered upon the Church. By his loving sacrifice on the Cross, Christ makes the Church his bride. She is clothed in the Holy Spirit and joined to the Lord Jesus. The entire ecclesial community is called to holiness in the conditions, duties and circumstances of their lives. By partaking of the Sacraments, by listening to and reflecting upon Sacred Scripture, by a devout life filled with faith, hope and charity, by striving for a moral life in accord with the Commandments, and by putting into practice the Beatitudes of Jesus, believers respond together to the promptings of divine grace and seek that holiness which characterizes God.
Distinctiveness of Church Teaching
The universal call to holiness in the Church rests upon two important understandings. First, holiness is a gift or grace from God which requires our avid cooperation. Every member of the Church can cooperate with God’s grace in this regard. Second, members of the Church learn to walk in the way of holiness by looking to the example of Mary, the Mother of God, and the witness given by the Saints.
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