💖 HOMILY - JULY 15 💖

First Reading - 2 Corinthians 3:15-4:1,3-6 

Gospel - Matthew 5:20-26

We all get angry and anger as an emotion is not bad but it must be managed well. Infact, the emotion of anger has a lot of energy and that energy is to be tapped in a healthy way. The readings invite us to remove the veil of our lives existing in any form, particularly unhealthy anger, that distances us from one another and sometimes from God as well.

The first reading makes vivid contrast between the true believers and others. Paul further clarifies the definition of true believers by taking the analogy of worship practiced by Jews in the temple. The Holy of Holies (The Sacred Sanctuary) was separated by a vail from other parts of the temple. This prevented worshipers to see God. But Paul argues that God is spirit thus beyond the boundary of physical veils. Therefore, Paul argues that those who believe in Jesus those the gospel, they are liberated from the veils that prevent them to see God but can approach God without a barrier. However, those who fail to believe, remain with veils.

The gospel passage of the day enlightens us to remove the veil of anger. For the Scribes and the Pharisees, the external fulfillment of the precepts of the Mosaic Law was the guarantee of a person’s salvation. In other words, a man saved himself through the external works of the Law. Jesus rejects this view in today’s Gospel passage, taken from the Sermon on the Mount. For Jesus, justification or sanctification is a grace, a free, strengthening gift from God. Man’s role is one of cooperating with that grace by being faithful to it, and using it as God means it to be used. Jesus then outlines new moral standards for his disciples.

Control of anger: Anger is the rawest, strongest, and most destructive of human emotions. Describing three stages of anger and the punishment each deserves, Jesus advises his disciples not to get angry in such a way that they sin.

1) Anger in the heart (“brief stage of insanity” Cicero): It has two forms: a) a sudden, blazing flame of anger which dies suddenly. b) a surge of anger which boils inside and lingers, so that the heart seeks revenge and refuses to forgive or forget. Jesus prescribes trial and punishment by the Village Court of Elders as its punishment.

2) Anger in speech: The use of words which are insulting (“raka“=“fool”), or damaging to the reputation (“moros” = a person of loose morals). Jesus says that such an angry (verbally abusive) person should be sent to the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religion’s Supreme Court, for trial and punishment.

3) Anger in action: Sudden outbursts of uncontrollable anger, which often result in physical assault or abuse. Jesus says that such anger deserves hellfire as its punishment.

In short, Jesus teaches that long-lasting anger is bad, contemptuous speech or destroying someone’s reputation is worse and harming another physically is the worst.

Dear friends, let us try to forgive,forget, and move toward reconciliation as soon as possible. St. Paul advises us “Be angry (righteous anger), but do not sin” (Eph 4:26). When we keep anger in our mind, we are inviting physical illnesses like hypertension, and mental illnesses like depression. Let us relax and keep silence when we are angry and pray for God’s strength for self-control , and for the grace, first to desire to forgive, and then actually to forgive, those who have injured us