Gospel Reflection: 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

This week we continue listening to Christ’s groundbreaking Sermon on the Mount. This is where we hear clearly the calling to a moral life. We also learn how the Kingdom of God does not operate on fallen human terms. Christ calls us to a totally new way of living that often runs counter to the culture around us. He is clear that this is the path to joy, freedom, and peace in Him.

For instance, the world tells us to hate our enemies. It tells us to return evil for evil, but the Lord calls us to forgive our enemies. He tells us that we are not only to forgive them, but to do good to them. In a world marred by vengeance, this most excellent way is the path to lasting peace. Our forgiving witness can be the means by which the Lord breaks into hard hearts, including our own.

The Lord tells us that as Christians we should look different from non-Christians. We should be known for going the extra mile, rather than doing the bear minimum. He tells us to stop judging souls. This does not mean that we cannot state clearly when something is a sin. We must be clear about the moral life. It means that we must stop judging another’s soul and ignoring our own sinfulness. He is calling us out of hypocrisy, which often leads to an overemphasis on other people’s sins and blindness in the face of our own sins.

As we prepare for the Lenten season, which starts during spring break, let us focus on the areas of our lives where we need to be freed from sin and draw closer to the Lord.