Wednesday 3rd week of Lent
"Mt 5:17-19"
"Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
How easy it is to water down the Gospel and make it a bit less demanding! How easy it would be to get disciples if you only taught the nice bits of the Gospel and took out any reference to the Cross or the demands of becoming a real disciple of Jesus! But the Gospel is the Word of God: the whole Gospel, and no one has the right to change so much as one letter of it.
An African bishop returned to his home town – which was mostly non-Christian – soon after ordination. In the welcome speech, the people expressed how happy they were that one of them now had 'direct access' to God. Then they promised him they would all embrace Christianity if he would use his episcopal power to suppress one of the Ten Commandments for them. Before they could say which of the Commandments they had in mind, the young bishop shocked them by explaining that the Commandments are from God and, therefore, unchangeable. The celebratory mood turned into disappointment and the bishop had to make a hasty departure from his own people.
People may ask for a reduction of their moral responsibilities as they ask for a reduction of taxes. It would be like someone who wants to change doctor because the physician has put him on a diet. He could think that tablets would certainly be easier to take... Taking medicine can be less demanding than following a diet, but tablets aren't what that patient needs.
Imagine that a government wanted to change the law of gravity for its country because the one 'still in use' is old fashioned or doesn't take into account our 'national identity'. Well, he can try, but he definitely cannot change the Law of God. Mary, Mother of Justice, help me to love God's Law and fulfil His Commandments to the full.
