Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Matthew (5: 17-19) in which Jesus says ‘Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish but to complete them’.
God’s covenant with Moses on Mount Sinai was the basis of Israel’s life. It set out the terms of how Israel would be God’s people and, yet, while remaining faithful to the Law, Jesus now gives it his own emphasis often by quoting from the Scriptures. Fr Paul says, Jesus offers his own emphasis in regards to how we worship, in regards to forgiveness, in regards to how we love (we must maintain a love of neighbour) and, obviously, lots, lots more. Fr Paul says, as we are told in today’s Gospel, Jesus is not here to abolish, to rewrite or completely abandon the Law but he is adding to it his own emphasis and understanding in order to complete it. With this Gospel in mind, Fr Paul invites us to ponder this question, ‘Am I living my life according to the Law of Jesus?’ or am I living my life by my own Law?’
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