In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus calls His followers to a standard even greater than those of the scribes and Pharisees for whom a key commandment was “You shall not kill.” Jesus’ call goes far beyond that to the fundamental feelings and passions that lead people to kill others or put the lives of others in danger. Deep-seated attitudes and emotions need to be addressed to not only prevent evil actions but also to lead us to a renewal of our hearts, minds and souls.
The key renewal Jesus is calling forth from us is not something we can bring about by our own efforts; we need the power and the grace of God’s Spirit to make that happen. We already know this in the words of the well-known prayer: “Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.”
This prayer asks the Holy Spirit to re-create deep within us the love that is God; it prays that the roots of that deeper virtue and standard may grow within our hearts and minds and helps us to become what God truly wants us to be.+
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