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In Matthew 5:17, Jesus said, "I have come not to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill them".
Jesus makes it clear, in contradiction to popular belief, that the Old Testament teachings (Leviticus 19:18) were not permission to hate the enemy. God the Father's love is all-embracing, He explains. The Father's love is immeasurable, and so, to be a legitimate son of the Father, not only has one to be righteous but also "to be perfect". This idea of perfection (or 'teleios', the Greek word Matthew used) encompasses not only the love-command but also a completely whole-hearted devotion to God and His will. It is not a mystical ideal only for those opting for a religious life. Rather, it is obligatory for all who look for salvation (cf. 19:21) and is the basis for interpreting the Mosaic Law.
The Mosaic Law we see in the passage from Deuteronomy says much the same thing, even though it seems to advocate a fastidious scrupulosity about the 'keeping' of the Laws. The basic idea to this insistence on 'commandments and ordinances' is that "you listen to his voice" (26:17), in other words "to be perfect as He is perfect" ( Mt. 5:48), or to be "pure in heart" as in (Mt. 5:8) - a purity which means a heart totally focussed on the things and ways of God.
Dear Lord, in these days of the false gods of the wonders of technology, let us remember the Psalmist's words: "They are happy, those who do his will, seeking Him with all their hearts." (Psalm 119:2). Amen.
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DAILY OFFERING
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Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen.
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PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH
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INTENTION
That the land, culture and all the rights of the indigenous populations of the world may be respected, so that true harmony between them and those among whom they live may be attained.
Elaboration
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