6.11.14

Lectio:   Mt 5.20-26                                                     
                     
Meditatio: “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; but I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgement’.”  Mt 5.21-22a

Oratio: O God, You want all to live in peace!

I remember Jesus told His disciples that they must avoid not just the obvious of murder but of anger with one’s brother, for Jesus knew that anger clouds one’s judgement and is the underlying reason one commits murder. Thus for peace, the emotion of anger must be addressed and controlled so that it does not get a hold on us; in prayer seek the grace to deal rightly with the feeling of anger by not suppressing it, but using the energy it generates to do something constructive so that it will not be a source of enmity.

Contemplatio: spend some time in silence and meditate on the selected passage and hear what
God is saying to you.

Operatio: reflect: "angry...liable....judgement”; the mere feeling of anger is not a sin; rather it is a God given emotion which gives us the energy to defend ourselves when we perceive a danger - whether real or imaginary; however if we do not address the feeling of anger, it can prompt us to do harm to an innocent purpose and that is why Jesus warns us of the dire consequence of allowing anger to become part of our disposition; in prayer seek the grace to use the energy that the emotion of anger generates in a constructive way and to reflect on the situation that is gives rise to the feeling of anger so as never to act to defend one self unless the threat of injury is real and retaliation is the only course of action; by doing so this will help ensure the peace that God wants for us.

Tomorrow's reading: Mt 5.27-32