First Reading (Ezekiel 18,21-28)
Reading of Ezekiel’s Prophecy.
Thus says the Lord: “If the wicked repents of all the sins he has committed, and keeps all my laws, and does justice and righteousness, he will live surely and will not die. None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him. He will live because of the righteousness he has done. Do I take pleasure in the death of the wicked? – declares the Lord God. I do not want him to change his ways and live? But if the righteous turns away from his righteousness and does evil, imitating all the detestable practices done by the wicked, will he be able to do this and live? Of the righteousness that he has done, nothing will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness and the sin that he has committed, he will die because of this. But you are saying, ‘The conduct of the Lord is not right.’ It is because of the evil done that he dies. When a wicked person repents of the evil he has done and observes law and justice, he keeps his own life. Repentance of all his sins, he will surely live; will not die.”
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Gospel (Matthew 5,20-26)
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew.
— Glory to you, Lord.
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: “Unless your righteousness is greater than the righteousness of the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. You have heard that it was said to the ancients: ‘You shall not kill! Whoever kills will be condemned by the court’. But I say to you: everyone who is angry with his brother will be a defendant in court; whoever says to his brother: ‘You scoundrel!’ will be condemned by the court; whoever calls his brother a ‘fool’ will be condemned to the fires of hell. Therefore, when you are taking your offering to the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there in front of the altar, and first go and reconcile with your brother. Only then will you present your offering to the officer. of justice, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not come out until you pay the last penny.
— Word of Salvation.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today we are faced with a profound call to conversion and true justice. The readings we have just heard invite us to reflect on repentance, God’s mercy and the need to go beyond external justice to live true justice of the heart. The prophet Ezekiel tells us about sincere repentance and how God wants everyone to be saved, while Jesus, in the Gospel of Matthew, teaches us that true righteousness is not just a matter of following external rules, but of transforming the heart.
To begin, let’s think about a man who spent his life far from God, making mistakes and harming others. But one day, touched by grace, he decides to change his life, asks for forgiveness, repairs his mistakes and starts to live righteously. According to God’s justice, this man will be saved, because “if the wicked repents of all the sins he has committed, keeps all my commandments and practices justice and justice, he will certainly live and not die” (Ez 18:21).
This shows us that God doesn’t just judge us by our past, but by the direction we are heading in now. No matter how far we have strayed; the Lord calls us to repentance, offers us a new chance. He does not take pleasure in the sinner’s death, but rather that he convert and live. What a message of hope!
At the same time, the prophet warns us of the danger of presumption. “If a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits evil, he will be dealt with according to his deeds” (Ez 18:24). We cannot rely on a past of good deeds and think we are safe if, in the present, we distance ourselves from God. The Christian life is a constant journey, a daily call to fidelity.
And here we enter the powerful teaching of Jesus in the Gospel. He says something that must have amazed his listeners: “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 5:20). What does this mean? The Pharisees were known for their rigidity in observing the Law, they followed each commandment meticulously. But for Jesus, the righteousness that pleases God is not just following external rules, but an internal transformation.
And he gives a concrete example: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not kill.’ But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be held liable in judgment” (Mt 5:21-22). Jesus raises the bar: it is not enough to avoid physical homicide; We must also avoid murder of the heart, which is anger, resentment and lack of forgiveness.
Brothers, how many times have we killed someone with our harsh words, our merciless judgments, our indifference? How many times do we carry resentments in our hearts that destroy us inside?
Jesus teaches us that reconciliation is more important than any offering to God: “If, when you present your gift at the altar, you remember that your brother has something against you, first go and be reconciled with your brother” (Mt 5:23-24). This is very strong!
He is saying that our relationship with God passes through our relationship with others. There is no point praying, going to Mass, doing penance, if we keep anger, pride and lack of forgiveness in our hearts. God wants a pure heart, a reconciled heart.
And how difficult it is! Forgiving does not mean forgetting the harm suffered, but it means deciding not to feed hatred anymore, it means letting God heal our wounds.
Let’s think about the story of a man who spent years fighting with his brother over an inheritance. Neither of them wanted to give in. But one day, one of them fell seriously ill. He realized that he was wasting time with resentment and decided to look for his brother to ask for forgiveness. The other was also moved, and the two reconciled. In the end, what mattered was not the money, but the love they had recovered.
So too, God calls us to reconciliation today. Maybe you have someone in your life that you need to reconcile with. Maybe it’s a friend, a relative, a co-worker. Ask for the grace to take the first step, to abandon pride and seek peace.
And let us remember: we are all sinners in need of God’s mercy. If we want to receive forgiveness, we also need to offer it. Jesus doesn’t just want us to avoid evil, He wants us to be promoters of good. It’s not enough not to kill; we need to generate life, build bridges, promote peace.
Today, as we approach the Eucharist, let us ask the Lord to transform our hearts, to help us live a greater justice, a justice that is born of love and mercy. May we leave here determined to be more just, more reconciling, more true Christians.
May God bless us and give us the grace to live this righteousness from the heart. Amen!
