This is not an easy Gospel to listen to
today. Harboring anger and resentment
against our neighbor or loved one or family member is one of the things that
can really destroy us in life. We all
have heard of the feuding Hatfield and McCoy families from around the West
Virginia – Kentucky border. That feud
originated around the time of the Civil War and lasted for decades between
those two families, with many murders and killings being a part of that
feud. A couple of years back, the
History Channel aired a mini-series about that feud that reached a record
audience for that channel. All that
feuding catches our attention, that is for sure, and it reminds me of all the
revenge and vengeance that so many people in our current day seek as well. We
all probably have known friends and family members who are consumed with anger
in the lives, so much so that it affects their whole outlook on life. I once heard a lady say that when she gets up
in the morning she looks into the mirror and wishes nothing but bad luck and
sheer misery for her former husband. It
was quite a shock to hear the anger and hatred in her voice.
In the face of all of this, Jesus tells
us to be perfect just as our heavenly Father is perfect. Sounds like an impossible order for us. However, I have heard Father Patrick Farrell,
one of the well-respected retired priests in our diocese who served as a priest
in Vicksburg right before retiring last yeat tell parishioners that Jesus calls
us to strive to perfection. We will not
meet the goal of that perfection, but the fact that we are trying our best and
aiming for that perfection is what God sees. Our Gospel today challenges us to look at our
conduct, to look at what our goals are in life. This can be a very
uncomfortable task. As Christians, as
followers of Jesus, God is calling us to a higher standard. Are we willing to strive for that heavenly
perfection?
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