In our first reading today, Moses instructs the people how to be in relationship with God – “to walk in his ways and observe his statutes and commandments, and to hearken to his voice.” And if the people do this, they will be God’s people – a people “peculiarly his own.” Jesus fleshes this out for us today in the Gospel reading. When Jesus begins with “you have heard that it was said,” you can bet Jesus is going to turn our usual way of doing things on its head. We get the advice to love both our friends and our enemies, to do good to those who persecute us. Something peculiar indeed.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns about the dangers of unjust anger. He challenges us to not let hard feelings stand between us and our brother (or sister) in Christ. Such an attitude puts a barrier between us and the Lord. How can we approach the altar in good faith when lingering resentment stands between us and another child of God? Before receiving communion, we recite the most challenging words of the Lord’s Prayer: “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” This is so important that the Lord repeats it after teaching this prayer (Mt 6:14-15). How can we be properly disposed to receive our Lord if we hold grudges?

“When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me” Ps. 138.