Monday, March 31, 2014

Friday of the 3rd Week of Lent, Cycle A - March 28, 2014

Friday of the 3rd Week of Lent
March 28, 2014    8:30am

 

This morning there is just one point in the gospel that I want to highlight.

The scribe who asks Jesus about the greatest commandment is most likely a Jew who is very devoted to the temple ritual.
This is why it is so noteworthy that he says that keeping those two great commandments of love is more important than “all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
And Jesus really affirms this man’s understanding.

Now, we believe that the sacrifice of the Mass or the Eucharist is important.
After all, Jesus gave this to us and told us to do this in his memory.
But it is important that we realize our oneness with others in sharing this one bread and one cup.
This includes our oneness with those who are here and by extension, with all of God’s sons and daughters on this earth.
After all, when Jesus says that if we come here and find that we are not reconciled with another, we should go first and be reconciled and then come back and make our offering to God.
Jesus places no limit on those with whom we are to be reconciled.
Everyone and anyone is included among those with whom we are to be reconciled.

So, the Eucharist does make us one with Jesus or one with God.
But we are also to be one with each other through this.
We are to allow the Eucharist to empower us to live this out in our everyday lives.

So Jesus affirms the sensitive, insightful understanding of the scribe today.

And, in fact, that insight lies at the basis of our best and fullest understanding of the Eucharist.