We know that we are not on good terms with someone.

The holy voice from within us invites us, need to be reconciled with others.

We tend to overlook the smaller sins that we commit everyday unaware.

Even to our smallest sins. For if left uncheck, they might grow.

 

 St. Anthony of Padua, priest & doctor

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

1 Kings 18:41-46

Elijah then said to Ahab,

"Go up, eat and drink, for the sound of rain is rushing in." So Ahab went up to eat and drink. Elijah, in the meantime, went to the top of Carmel, bowed to the ground and put his face between his knees. Then he said to his servant, "Go up and look in the direction of the sea." The man went up, looked, and said, "There is nothing."

 

Then Elijah said, "Go again;" and seven times he went. At the seventh time, he perceived a little cloud, the size of a man's hand, rising out of the sea. Elijah told him, "Go, tell Ahab: Prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you." A little later the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and a strong rain fell. Ahab was riding on his way to Jezreel.

 

As for Elijah, the hand of Yahweh was on him, and tucking his cloak in his belt, he ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

 

Ps 65:10, 11, 12-13 It is right to praise you in Zion, O God.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

Matthew 5:20-26

I tell you, if your sense of right and wrong is not keener than that of the Lawyers and the Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

You have heard that it was said to our people in the past: Do not commit murder; anyone who murders will have to face trial. But now, I tell you: whoever gets angry with a brother or sister will have to face trial. Whoever insults a brother or sister is liable to be brought before the council. Whoever calls a brother or sister "Fool!" is liable to being thrown into the fire of hell.

 

So, if you are about to offer your gift at the altar, and you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there, in front of the altar; go at once, and make peace with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift to God.

Don't forget this: be reconciled with your opponent quickly when you are together on the way to court. Otherwise he will turn you over to the judge, who will hand you over to the police, who will put you in jail. There, you will stay, until you have paid the last penny.

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"Let go of anger." 

Anger is another thing that can impede our journey of faith. Anger is one of the heaviest loads that paralyzes us to travel light in our faith journey. When we are angry, our world can become very small. Why? It is because we would not want to look around us, being fixated to look only into our own hurts and pains.

 

In today's Gospel, we are still reflecting on the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus told his disciples that they must be keener than the Lawyers and the Pharisees. Jesus' disciples should exceed the holiness of the scribes and the Pharisees. What does this mean? This means that the one who follows Jesus should have a light disposition, detaching themselves from anything that may prevent him/her to continue his/her journey closer to God.

 

To cite a particular teaching: ... Anger can prevent us from getting closer to God." Through Jesus' particular teaching in today's Gospel, we are called to let go of any feeling of rancor against anyone. If we allow our anger to grow, it will soon swallow us up. Let us not allow our negative thoughts against anybody to take control of us.