Isaiah 1. 10, 16 – 20, 27 – 38, 31
Psalm 50
Matthew 23: 1 -12
The Lord himself is ready for a dialogue with his sinful people as he says, “come now let us talk this over’. He says that even if the sins are like scarlet or re as crimson, they can become white as wool. Wool colored with in indelible dyes is a symbol of sin. God can was our sins and bring us to our original purity. In fact, the response to God’s word today is ‘To the upright I will show the saving power of God’. Once again, the Word of God expresses God’s unconditional forgiveness provided we are ready to repent, make amends and begin to live again life of faithfulness to him.
Ceasing to do good and avoiding evil is linked to helping the oppressed an doing justice to the orphaned, pleading for and defending the widows. An attitude of justice has to be lived in relation to the poor. Being upright involves standing up for the victims of injustice and indifference, standing for the rights of refugees and Emigrants. We cannot afford to be indifferent especially with regard to justice. Pope Francis our holy father, in a homily on May 25, 2003 said “indifference is dangerous, whether innocent or not we do not have the right to be different or to look the other way”.
Doing justice to the poor, weak, marginalized, oppressed, orphans, widows is a way of living in peace. For peace and justice are interrelated. While our sins are forgiven and are reconcile with God and one another, we enjoy peace. When our brothers and sisters are liberated from our attitudes of indifference, injustice and inequality too, we experience peace.
Do you experience in my concrete life the relationship between justice and peace? How?
God bless. Have a blessed day.