Friday 26 February

Ezekiel 18:21-28; Psalm 130; Matthew 5:20-26

Anger

Jesus invites his listeners to be better than the Pharisees and Scribes. He recalls the Commandment about murder and warns us to discard attitudes and actions that lead to killing. Strong words caused by anger could wound another and destroy the bonds of kinship. Jesus points out the importance of reconciling unresolved problems with another person. They ‘fester in the heart’ unnecessarily. Anger can increase hostility. Forgiveness restores relationships. This reading invites us to renew our relationships with one another by acknowledging the goodness of God in all of us, and by experiencing reconciliation.