(Gospel: “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, you shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment… Matthew 5:20-26)
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The Church is widely known for making distinctions. For example, there’s a difference between an angel and an archangel, moral versus immoral, good versus evil, or a venial sin versus a mortal sin.
A venial sin might involve harboring a slight grudge in our heart towards someone who has hurt us; a mortal sin would involve intentionally acting on that anger – even to the point of murder.
While we are most likely not guilty of any mortal sin, we can commit venial sins all the time. The temptation is to brush them off, as if they are really not that big of a deal. I’m angry at someone…. so what?
The Gospel tells us that that grudge IS a big deal, because no sin is permissible in heaven. “Whoever is angry with his brother,” Jesus says, “will be liable to judgment” (Mt. 5:22).
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Given we are in the season of Lent, now is the perfect time for us to examine our conscience and see where we can grow in more perfect love. In other words: Do I judge others? Do I gossip? Do I harbor any anger?
Even if we don’t act on these feelings, Jesus still wants to remove them from our hearts, especially through the sacrament of confession, because we cannot enter the kingdom of God until we are perfect.
That is the challenge of discipleship: to forgive without limits; to love to a ridiculous level, just as Christ has loved us.