“Blessed are those who walk in the law of the Lord”

Six years ago the Church year was designated as “The Year of the Word”, and the Pope Francis wanted us to renew our love of the Holy Scriptures and to listen again to the voice of God in them.  At the end of January this year, the Sunday was themed as “Sunday of the Word of God” but we had a visit from the Missionary Society of St Paul so I postponed this theme.

This has inspired me to make “The Word of God” a theme for Lent this year.  I will be saying more about it week by week, but meanwhile encourage you to try to devote more time to reading Holy Scripture in Lent this year, on top of any other prayers and actions that you undertake.  

I wonder if Holy Scripture has been avoided at times because people are afraid of the warnings and challenges it might make?  The American writer Mark Twain once commented, “It ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me; it is the parts that I do understand.”

Today’s Gospel reading is certainly challenging.  Jesus preached love and forgiveness to people and must have attracted people with his gentleness and mercy.  So, he needs to remind his followers, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets.  In fact he is very strict as he lays down the Law again.  “But I say to you everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Jesus certainly wants us to keep the Law.  But he wants us to go beyond it.  In Lent, we have the opportunity to deepen our faith again, and go beyond just keeping the letter of the Law.  

God bless, Fr Kevin.