Homily on Matthew 5: 20-26, Forgive , Friday the 14th of March

Praise be to Jesus Christ

There was once a man who was very devoted to prayer. He never skipped  Mass,  fasted regularly, and spent many hours alone in the church. One day, he argued with his neighbour about a small piece of land which was rather bitter. His anger was so extreme that he even refused to greet the neighbour. However, every morning, he stood in front of the altar and extended his hands in prayer. An old priest who saw this said to him, “Son, your hands are lifted high, but your heart is heavy with hatred. How can your prayer then rise to God?”

In the Gospel of today, Jesus is so direct, he says: “If you bring your gift to the altar and remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar. First, go and be reconciled.”  Here Jesus teaches us  a worship that is conditional to our love. Prayer without forgiveness is useless. God isn’t looking only for our prayers.  Moreover He looks our hearts be indeed pure from bitterness, anger, heartedness etc. 

As we know, the Pharisees placed excessive emphasis on strictly adhering to the law. They fasted, prayed, and gave alms. However, Jesus tells His disciples, “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” What does this imply? It suggests that genuine righteousness is not merely about following external rules but is rooted in the heart. A person may not physically kill someone but can harm others with their words. Someone may not steal but can inflict damage through hatred and jealousy. Jesus is calling us to a higher standard.

We see this exemplified in the life of Joseph in the Old Testament. His brothers betrayed him and sold him into slavery. Years later, when he rose to power in Egypt, he had the opportunity to seek revenge. Yet, Joseph chose not to let bitterness take over. Instead, he forgave his brothers and saved them. He recognised that true righteousness is about mercy, not punishment.

As we are in the Lenten season, a time set apart for fasting, prayer, penance and almsgiving, Jesus tells us today that all these practices become meaningless and   useless if our hearts are full of anger and hate-redness.  Hence at this season of lent, our Lord Jesus calls us not only to pray but also to forgive and forget the offences others might have done against us. It clearly means that we are supposed not only just fast from food, but also to fast from hatred and other negativity against our neighbours.  It is not enough that we merely give alms, but to extend love to those who have wronged us. This exemplifies the true spirit of Lent.

 It is apt to remember the advice of Saint Francis of Assisi here; ‘while you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.’  Very often, we say that we have forgiven; however, it is the fact that deep within our hearts, we still hutch negativity against others in our heart. Hence in the gospel Jesus encourages us to sincerely forgive, not just verbally but from the hearts.

It might be good that we may reflect personally on the following points today:

1. Do I need to give forgiveness to any one in life and do I struggle with that?
2. Am I carrying anger in my heart while still praying and attending the Holy Mass?
3. What do I need to do to restore the broken relationships during this season of Lent?

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus Christ my master, give me a heart free from negativity and anger and fill it with your holy Love that I may forgive unconditionally as You have forgiven me. Amen.