Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5, 17-19
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”
To abolish
1) Think. You can’t spend your whole life complaining about the circumstances you’ve been given. Some of your struggles come from choices you made yourself, and God had nothing to do with them. At times, you may have slipped into a victim mentality—or may still be there—using it to avoid facing your own desires, decisions, or responsibilities, even going so far as to blame people who have nothing to do with your problems. It can feel easier to blame other people, or even God, than to be honest with yourself. Change is always possible, but it begins with humility, honesty, and the courage to confront your own ego. Otherwise, you’ll keep blaming God or everyone else, when most times you’re responsible for the situation you’re in.
2) I say to you. Let’s start with a quote someone shared with me once: “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start right where you are and change the ending.” That’s why you must give yourself permission to change. Look honestly at your life and discern what is essential to who you are and what needs to be transformed. Some things are part of your deepest identity and shouldn’t change; other things must be surrendered and renewed. In all of this, let Jesus be your peace, so that you can make decisions calmly, wisely, and with a steady heart.
3) Fulfill. This is the only life we get, and there’s no going back. Today is your opportunity to live fully in the present and make decisions rooted in God. Don’t fall into the trap of merely going through the motions—half fulfilling your responsibilities while half faking it. There are paths you must walk personally, by looking deep inside. You can’t spend your whole life trying to satisfy everyone else’s expectations. You aren’t Aladdin’s lamp intended only to grant other people’s wishes. Learn to look at yourself and recognize both your possibilities and your limits and accept them with peace. If God respects your freedom and your limits, then you must learn to respect them as well and teach others to do the same.
Never forget that something good is on the way!
God bless you and protect you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
