Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Second Corinthians describes a veil that covers “the hearts” of those who read from Moses in the Old Testament. St. Paul admits that even the Gospel is veiled, but only for “those who are perishing.” He declares that through “the ministry” we have received “through mercy… we are not discouraged.” The same God who said, “let light shine out of darkness” has shown in our hearts to bring us to know Jesus.
In today’s Gospel, we again find Jesus urging His followers and us also, to go beyond the bare minimum in following the Commandments. The Fifth Commandment He mentions not only applies to killing. It also applies to anger. Any angry act needs to be accounted for. This applies to all of God’s Commandments. It is not enough just to follow the Ten Commandments from a distance. We must apply them to every situation, including anger and other everyday occurrences.
Jesus wanted to help us “see through the veil” by going above and beyond the bare minimum of rules to actually see God present in our neighbor. When we strive to see the Imago Dei, divine image, hidden in every person we meet, we truly begin to see through the veil.
Reflection: Wherever you are in your spiritual journey it is good to take account of how you pray for others. Do you pray for others regularly; on a daily basis? Does your prayer for others help you to be mindful of them? To pray for others as Jesus did during His earthly life is a surefire way to go through the veil that often covers our hearts.
Reflection by Br. Matthew Marie, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections