Catholic Commission for Social Justice
Gospel: Matthew 5, 17 – 37
Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.
God had a plan when He created us. He imprinted in our minds a moral order so that we would live as he wants us to live. But he gave us free will to choose whether or not we follow his commandments. Reflect on the Psalm in today’s reading: (Ps 118: 1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34) e.g. “…How happy those who respect His (God’s) decrees, and seek him with their whole heart…Oh, may my behaviour be constant in keeping your statutes…Explain to me how to respect your Law and how to observe it wholeheartedly. Guide me in the path of your commandments…”
Gospel: Matthew 5, 13 – 16
Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lamp-stand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”
“Violence is not overcome by violence… peace is the result of a process of purification and of cultural, moral and spiritual elevation involving each individual and people, a process in which human dignity is fully respected.” (Pope Benedict XVI’s 2011 Peace Message)
Last September CCSJ sought to implement a Synod resolution by organising Respect for Life Week. The T-shirts we printed read: “Respect ALL Life: God’s gift to us”.