11^TH /12^TH FEBRUARY 2023

Dear Parishioners,

Be warned, the scripture today need a lot of thinking and working on. Sometimes there is a simple parable or story that is self-explanatory – but not today!

Two weeks ago we heard ‘the Sermon on the Mount’; last week we reflected on ‘light and darkness and salt’. St Paul today leads us into the Gospel. He speaks of philosophy and the wisdom of God but then there is the New Law.

In the Gospel of Matthew says: ’you heard it said in the old law … but I (Jesus) say to you …’ Jesus does not deny the Law, but it is how the Law is interpreted that matters to him.

He tells his listeners: “If your virtue goes no deeper that the Scribes and Pharisees you will never get into the kingdom of heaven”. This statement must have both surprised and angered the Scribes and Pharisees who thought themselves very holy and virtuous people. Jesus shattered their dreams and complacent belief in their own goodness and virtue. He told them that their virtue was superficial and their goodness skin-deep. Jesus’ own disciples would have to do better.

We might imagine that virtue is virtue! Not so. There can be a shallow-skin-deep virtue. Virtue is shallow where there is no personal conviction – it is practiced out of convention, routine or conformity and it has to be done … no sincerity.

When virtue is genuine it is deep inside us and from the heart. It reveals our innermost being. The heart is at the very centre. Sin and virtue, badness and goodness come from the heart.

We must not look at the surface of our lives, but into our hearts and have the courage to search out what is going on inside us – we look at our thoughts, intentions, attitudes and desires.

One of the most damning things we could say about anyone: “They have a cold heart or a hard heart”. To be cold-hearted is to be unable to show kindness, sympathy understanding. To be hard-hearted is worse still. It means that one is unable to show pity, mercy forgiveness. On the other hand, we can speak of people with a heart of gold, warm hearted, soft hearted. We say their heart is in the right place. Then you are able to show goodness, kindness, tenderness, pity, compassion, mercy … these are the virtues of the heart.

When all is said and done – it is the good heart that matters. It is from there that the driving force for virtue emerges. It is not by accident that we speak of the Heart of Jesus and Mary is the source of virtue. We pray that our hearts reflect the Hearts of Jesus and his Mother, Mary.

Have a blessed week, Fr Joe