Not many of us have murdered anyone and also not many of us have stolen etc. In the readings at Mass this weekend we have set before us Jesus and his understanding of the Commandments. He says he is here to fulfill them rather than abolish them. How does he do this? Jesus shows that the commandments are straight forward by the way he lives his life amongst us and we are given the choice of following them or not. God has given us this power to choose, something that Sirach speaks about in the first reading. So Jesus then lives his life clearly in accordance with God His and our Father’s commandments; he shows us it can be done. Jesus then goes the extra mile, as it were, and seals that life of faithfulness to God’s divine yet wholly practical will by shedding his blood in the sacrifice of the Cross, a wisdom that is “mysterious and hidden”, as St Paul tells us in the 1st letter to the Corinthians.
Jesus also offers ways to make sure we do not break the commandments; don’t call people names, have custody of your senses, do not swear by anything, don’t suggest ways of subverting these commandments to others. We must live them, for this is the way to be great in heaven…..and remember, as St Paul reminds us in today’s second reading, the Holy Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.
“MUSIC has charms to sooth the savage breast” says William Congreve the renaissance poet. So come and be soothed and elated this week on Wednesday and then again on Friday and listen to two wonderful free concerts.
The Peterborough Cathedral Choir from England with Tansy Castledine will offer a concert on Wednesday at 7pm, and Les Petit Chanteurs boys’ choir from France will be with us at the same time on Friday. Please make every effort to attend these two excellent choirs, and spread the good news of this event too please.
May God bless you, your families, and the week ahead,
Fr Aidan Peter