The Gospel of this day invites us to go beyond the surface. Sometimes, when we read this passage from Matthew, we pause to think about how demanding Jesus sounds. He speaks to us about the Law, about not swearing, about not becoming angry, about guarding even our gaze. But if we look at it closely, we realize that Jesus did not come to give us more “rules” to complicate our lives, but to ask something much deeper of us: authenticity.
We live in a reality where we have become experts in “appearance.” On social media, at work, and sometimes even in church, we strive to appear as “upright” people. We fulfill the minimum so that no one points a finger at us. Yet today Jesus tells us: “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.”
What does this mean for us today? It means understanding that one does not need to wield a weapon to take someone’s life. Jesus confronts us with an uncomfortable reality: sometimes we slowly kill others with our indifference, or with cold contempt toward those who think differently from us.
Today, “murder” has changed its setting, but not its intention: it is committed behind a screen, through hateful comments on social media. It is carried out in private conversations through gossip, which acts like poison that destroys a brother’s reputation in seconds. It manifests itself when we invalidate the dignity of others simply because they are different.
Jesus teaches us that true prayer is inseparable from fraternal charity. Ritual must not be a refuge to evade human conflicts, but the fruit of a heart at peace. God does not seek external sacrifices, but the offering of conquered pride and an embrace that restores the wounded brother. In a world fragmented by hopelessness, the Christian is called to be a bridge and not a wall, understanding that prayer leads us to forgiveness. One cannot walk toward the altar while turning one’s back on one’s neighbor, for the believer’s identity finds its value in the ability to heal relationships. Thus, reconciliation becomes the most authentic and necessary liturgy for a true encounter with the Father.
Sr. Angela del Rosario Ruiz Flores
Community of Chiltiupán, El Salvador, Province of Saint Martin de Porres.
