Readings: 2 Corinthians 4:7-15, Ps. 116:10-11,15-18, Matthew 5:27-32
"Everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; you should lose one of your members rather than that your whole body be thrown into hell.” (Matthew 5:28-29)
Today, Jesus wants us to understand that adultery begins long before the very act of sex. By merely looking at a woman lustfully, desiring to see her nakedness or imagining her in bed, the sin of adultery has happened already. Those who look with impure motives and those who touch physically are guilty of the same sin.
In the Beatitudes, Jesus raises the standards of morality. Jesus said that if our righteousness does not go beyond the level of hypocrisy (hide and seek), we cannot enter the kingdom of God. So, it is not enough that we avoid the act of sex; we must also avoid even having to think about it; we must be pure in heart to enter the kingdom of God.
Does it seem as though Jesus is laying a heavy burden on us? Is Jesus asking for too much? If your answer is yes, then at least now you understand why you have been struggling in the area of sexual purity. The solution to the problem of adultery, fornication, masturbation and so on is purity of heart. We must wash the inside first so that the outside can be clean as well. Your mind is a factory; the kind of ingredients you put into it determines your whole life. (Cf. Proverbs 4:23)
Jesus says, “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away.” In convenient terms, Jesus is saying that all sexual sins have root causes; they do not happen in a vacuum. Something always leads to something before that big something happens. Your right eye is something you often take for granted or consider as usual, but then, it has the potential of landing you in sin.
For instance, you have a friend with whom you enjoy their company. Hours seem like minutes when you’re together; you’re able to relax and talk freely with this person because you trust them. Friendship serves a social function. Nevertheless, when this friendship begins to go towards the direction of incessant physical touches, unwholesome jokes, erotic discussions and so on, then, as Jesus advises, it is time to cut it off and throw it away. It is better to enter heaven without any friends than to be in hell with the award of the world’s most friendly person.
Furthermore, Jesus expresses his mind regarding the issue of divorce. It is not the will of God that a man and a woman, having been joined together in marriage, should ever separate. Divorce is always a painful thing which leaves permanent scars both in the couple themselves and their children.
Jesus wants us to do everything to cherish and protect the institution of marriage, which is as old as humanity itself. If we are truly Christians who practice the kind of righteousness Jesus is preaching, then the issue of divorce, like adultery, would never arise.
St. Anthony of Padua, born Fernando Martins in Lisbon to a wealthy family, entered the Abbey of Santa Cruz in Coimbra, Portugal, at the age of fifteen to study theology and Latin. Feeling a strong calling, he later joined the Franciscan Order and took the name Anthony. His missionary work took him to Morocco, but illness forced his return to Portugal. His return journey took an unexpected turn, landing him in Sicily before he settled at the San Paolo hermitage in Tuscany.
During a visit from Dominican friars, Anthony delivered an impromptu yet powerful sermon, revealing his natural talent for preaching. Impressed by his virtues, St. Francis of Assisi entrusted him with the education of the friars. Anthony’s treasured book of psalms was once stolen but was later returned by a remorseful novice and is now preserved in Bologna.
While Anthony taught at various universities, his true passion was preaching. His clear and simple teachings earned him the title of Doctor of the Church in 1946 by Pope Pius XII. In one notable instance, when sceptics ignored his sermons, Anthony famously preached to the fish, captivating both his critics and the local community.
St. Anthony passed away at the young age of 35 and was canonised just a year later by Pope Gregory IX. When his body was exhumed, his tongue remained incorrupt, a sign of his pure teachings. Widely known as the ‘finder of lost items,’ St. Anthony is honoured around the world, with many miracles attributed to him.
Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, cleanse our hearts from all impurities and make our bodies temples fit for you to dwell. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Saint Antony of Padua, Priest, Doctor. Liturgical Colour: White. Bible Study: 2 Corinthians 4:7-15, Ps. 116:10-11,15-18, Matthew 5:27-32)
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu