Preet Anupam Beck csc –
Readings: Deut 4: 1, 5-9; Mt 5: 17-19
The readings of today invite me to follow the Commandments of the Lord. Moses insisted that to live everyone must follow God’s commandments. The following of God’s commandments would be a sign for the other nation who would wonder at the wisdom and understanding of the Israelites who follow such commandments. The gift of the commandments is a sign that God is near to his people. He is ready to help and intervene in times of need. Moses warns the people not to forget the commandments of the Lord and to keep them in their hearts and to pass them on to their younger generations.
Jesus came to fulfill the law given by Moses to the Israelites. Jesus gave meaning to the law and taught us to follow them in spirit. Jesus invites us to follow the commandments and not to manipulate them, to keep and to teach others how to observe them. This will allow us to build up the Kingdom of God for ourselves and others.
The readings challenge me to follow the commandments of the Lord in letter and spirit. They also assure me of the closeness of God. They ask me to have a conviction in my following of the commandments and to share the joy of the Lord with others.