Today’s Gospel does not contain a comforting message. Harboring anger and resentment against our neighbor, loved one or family member can do a lot of damage to our lives and the lives of others. We’ve 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 deaths being a part of that feud. The History Channel aired a mini-series about that feud some years ago that reached a record audience for that channel. That feud appeals to our imagination and reminds us of the violence from revenge and vengeance that take place in the world today. We all probably have known friends and family members whose lives are consumed with anger, 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 shocking 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 command for us. However, I once heard Monsignor Patrick Farrell 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. Ignatius of Antioch, one of the early Church Fathers, wrote to the Church at Rome that he wishes to please God, not man, in his life of faith. If we try to follow God’s laws, if we strive toward heavenly perfection, then we will love our neighbors as ourselves, then we will do what is right in the eyes of God. Holy Scripture often is not warm and cuddly. Our Gospel today challenges us to look at our conduct, to look at what our goals are in life, which can be a very uncomfortable task. 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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