THE DAILY GOSPEL

March 6, 2013

Wednesday

3rd Week of Lent

Psalter: Week 3

Ps 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20

Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

1st Reading: Dt 4:1, 5-9

Moses said to the people, “And now, Israel, listen to the norms and laws which I teach that you may put them into practice. And you will live and enter and take possession of the land which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, gives you.

See, as Yahweh, my God, ordered me, I am teaching you the norms and the laws that you may put them into practice in the land you are going to enter and have as your own. If you observe and practice them, other people will regard you as wise and intelligent. When they come to know of all these laws, they will say, “There is no people as wise and as intelligent as this great nation.” For in truth, is there a nation as great as ours, whose gods are as near to it as Yahweh, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? And is there a nation as great as ours whose norms and laws are as just as this Law which I give you today?

But be careful and be on your guard. Do not forget these things which your own eyes have seen nor let them depart from your heart as long as you live. But on the contrary, teach them to your children and to your children’s children.

Gospel: Mt 5:17-19

Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not think that I have come to remove the Law and the Prophets. I have not come to remove but to fulfill them. I tell you this: As long as heaven and earth last, not the smallest letter or stroke of the Law will change until all is fulfilled.

“So then, whoever breaks the least important of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be the least in the kingdom of heaven. On the other hand, whoever obeys them and teaches others to do the same will be great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Reflection:

The “new” commandment does not invalidate the “old.” Neither does the “New” Testament cancel out the “Old” Testament. Instead, the new completes the old, giving the latter deeper meaning and relevance. Thus, Jesus did not come into the world to remove the Law and the Prophets, but to complete them and give them a deeper interpretation and insight. A little child does not understand how Santa works his way through the chimney, but she continues her bedtime practices in preparation for his visit. And then she grows up to realize the adult “truth” about Santa. But she may now engage in the Santa act all the more delightfully with her younger siblings, for now she knows the “soul” of the tradition and appreciates it in a deeper way.

Does knowing Christ and growing in relationship with him help us appreciate teachings in the Law and the Prophets at a deeper level?