6th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Massimo Palombella
In today’s Gospel (Mt 5:17-37), Jesus, speaking with his disciples, affirms that he did not come to “abolish” but to bring about “fulfilment”. Jesus’ reference to the Law and the Prophets is not foreign to us because, in a true relationship with the Lord, what exists in us slowly begins to be fulfilled in truth.
In fact, when our relationship with the Lord is authentic, in the sense that it is set in the logic of “dia-logicality” beyond any god invented by us, we learn to know ourselves, to move what seemed firm and stable, to travel paths we had never imagined, to tell and do the truth.
On this journey, which is not easy and obvious, we slowly realise that indeed everything is moving towards “fulfilment”, towards truth, and what we thought to be limitation and weakness silently turns out to be our greatest resource.
The true relationship with the Lord makes us more human, refines us, leads us beyond the learned patterns of being well, leads us substantially “beyond”, so that all that we are can be lived in fullness and slowly enables us to a deep awareness of what “life in abundance” means.
The Offertory antiphon for today’s celebration is taken from Psalm 118 (Ps 118:12. 13) with the following text:
“Benedictus es Domine, doce me iustificationes tuas.
In labiis meis pronuntiavi omnia iudicia oris tui.”
(Blessed are you, O Lord, teach me your commandments.
With my lips have I declared all the judgments spoken by your mouth).
The attached music, in Gregorian Chant, is taken from the Graduale Triplex published in Solesmes in 1979. The interpretation can be found on YouTube where there are no indications
A blessed Sunday and heartfelt greetings.
