March 26, 2025

Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent

Lectionary 239

Matthew 5:17-19:

Meditation

When Jesus talks about keeping the law, he is not talking about a legalistic approach, a literal keeping of the law. He is speaking about the spirit of the law. He came not to abolish laws but to open eyes to the real meaning in all God has ever commanded his people. Jesus found himself in conflict with many of the religious people of his day. A number of them accused him of trying to destroy the old customs and beliefs of their spiritual heritage. Jesus reassures them that it is not his intent to destroy teachings handed down by the prophets. He has instead come to fulfill them.

We should never forget Jesus's sense that the law is fulfilled in love – God's wholehearted love and our neighbor's compassionate love. Our problem is that we tend to "abolish the law" to abolish love as soon as we encounter conflict, disappointment, or disagreement.

If we are honest, we discover that we need to convert to the love Jesus requires in our everyday lives—in our telephone conversations, dealings with authority, attitude and behavior in traffic, and homes.

We are very fortunate that Mary appears at La Salette to remind us that God has given us basic laws to follow if we wish to live happily now and with him forever. As a concerned mother, she warns us of the consequences if we fail to heed.

In her conversation with the two witnesses, Our Lady mentions specific commandments. She speaks of our lack of submission to God's will, our irreverence toward the name of her Son, our disregard of the seventh-day rest, our need to pray daily, our obligation to participate in the weekly Eucharist, and our failure to follow the laws of Lenten observance.