Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Ordinary Time Homilies • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 3 viewsJesus does not criticize what the scribes condemn but rather calls us from the outward behaviors to the inward. He calls us to deal with inward anger, which can separate us from God. We can learn to act like Jesus did on the cross, to use the Jesus Prayer to forgive, i.e. hand the situation over to God, and to ask God how to live love, i.e. seek the good of the other, doing the opposite of the vice. That will create a concrete lifestyle that will draw us closer to the Father rather than live in separation.
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Transcript
Title
Title
Going Inward
Outline
Outline
I love St Anthony of Padua, a priest who became a Franciscan, a wonderfully humble doctor of the Church.
The Pharisaic scribes had it right as far as they went
The Pharisaic scribes had it right as far as they went
Later in Matthew Jesus will tell his disciples that these scribes sat in Moses’ seat and that they were to do what they said.
But now as Jesus starts to reinterpret the last half of the Ten Commandments he says that they do not go far enough, for they only dealt with observable behaviors.
Jesus points out that sin begins inwardly
Jesus points out that sin begins inwardly
In this his first example he points out that it is not just murder nor just public defamation that is wrong, that can bring us to public judgment, but it is the inward anger, if not dealt with properly, that will separate us from God, that will bring us to hell.
Notice that we are not talking about the neural and biochemical feelings that we label anger, but our consent to them, our inner dialogue with them, that may stop with resentment and fuming or may come out in angry speech even if we restrain ourselves from violence.
Jesus is not just saying that this will sicken and kill us, which it will do if nursed within (anger is like sticking a knife into ourselves and expecting the other person to die, one expert said). Jesus is saying that it will separate our soul, our inner self, from God, from the source of spiritual life.
He will go on to give a similar analysis of other vices.
But I should not stop without giving a solution
But I should not stop without giving a solution
First, when you feel anger remember Jesus on the cross and how he handled his feelings with a prayer of forgiveness for his executioners and a prayer of honest trust handing his situation over to the Father.
Second, I teach people to do this with the Jesus Prayer, breathing in “Lord Jesus Christ” and breathing out “have mercy upon me” and as you breath out hand the issue over to Jesus. Repeat this until you return to peace.
Third, ask God how you can live out his love in that situation. Love is not a feeling, but seeking the good of the other. It is doing the will of God who is love. It is doing the opposite of the vice.
I call you to believe that Jesus means what he says - it is not an ideal but a concrete lifestyle - and to practice taking proper action when you first feel the anger trigger.
Then you will be drawn closer to the Father, you will be sons and daughters of the kingdom.