Christian charity is like a mirror

Friday of the 1st week of Lent

Matthew 5:20 - 26

This 10th day of our observance of Lent, as in Ezekiel, the Lord clarified his rule on justification and punishment, while in the Gospel, Jesus commanded surpassing the present virtues of the scribes and pharisees as regards relationship with people.  The gauges are as follows:

First, go beyond simply "not killing" to actually respecting every person in level of the heart.  Relationships need not be based on classifications or binaries like family and others, friends and foes, or rich or poor as well as significant or insignificant other.  As long as there are these binaries, it's possible that we're killing people even in the level of thought and heart.

Second, go beyond mere precepts of religion.  The offering should be a symbol of a pure heart, even to others.  This is consistent with the offering of self to be available to others, even to the poor, the insignificant, and to the enemy.  This pure heart for others is the condition of our offering to the Lord in every mass.

Third, go beyond God's justice as simply rewarding the good and punishing the evil. It's about paying to the last penny.  Translated to our relationship to one another, the smallest detail of our lives in relation to God and people account for our entrance or non-entrance to heaven.  Every detail of our lives will be accounted for in terms of the amount and quality of love that we engage in.

Thus, learn from the parable of the mirror.  If we can see our reflections in a mirror, so too our treatment to others become the very reflection of our love for God.