Peter Blog a few random thoughts

In Nelson’s Mandela autobiography Long walk to freedom he says this “I knew that people expected me to harbor anger against whites. But I had none. In prison, my anger towards the whites decreased, but my hatred for the system grew. I wanted South Africa to see that I loved even my enemies while I hated the system that turned against one another. I saw my mission as one preaching reconciliation, of healing the old wounds and building a new South Africa.” In this phrase nelson had taken the essence of today’s readings to his heart. He saw that hatred brought about destruction and was a barrier to peace and reconciliation. What he showed on a national level is something that we must strive on a local level in our own community and our own families. So let us unpick the readings. In the first reading the first thing that we hear is that they are told that the Lord is holy and because the Lord is holy therefore they should also be holy. The next part shows us the extent of this h...

There are three things that I want to focus on this today that come out from the Gospel reading: Virtue, Anger and the law. It must have really surprised many listeners when he said “If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and the Pharisees.”  The scribes and the Pharisees thought of themselves as being a cut above the rest. They followed the law to the very letter not letting anything slip. So therefore they saw themselves as virtuous. Listening to Jesus saying that their virtue is not worth very much must have really angered them. What he was saying was that the Virtue of these people was only skin deep. So what is true virtue it is something that is not just on the surface but goes deep within ourselves True authentic virtue flows through us. Compassion for our brothers and sisters should come from the heart not from the law and just doing it because we are told too. It flows from Compassion, love and honest relationships. IF we have a pious exterior like the...