Mt 5:20-26

Jesus said to his disciples:

“I tell you,

unless your righteousness surpasses that

of the scribes and Pharisees,

you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,

You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.

But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother

will be liable to judgment,

and whoever says to his brother, Raqa,

will be answerable to the Sanhedrin,

and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.

Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,

and there recall that your brother

has anything against you,

leave your gift there at the altar,

go first and be reconciled with your brother,

and then come and offer your gift.

Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court.

Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge,

and the judge will hand you over to the guard,

and you will be thrown into prison.

Amen, I say to you,

you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”

Ms. Werschky’s 7th grade class at St. John the Evangelist read the Gospel and were inspired after reading the Gospel from Matthew. Together they came up with the reflection, prayers and illustrations. This was narrated by Max Crumm, Titan Tremaine, Madeline Widder, Isabella White, Elle Doherty.

Lord, looking back there are many times that I could have handled situations better, if I just listened to your will. The time I laughed at a classmate, I did not follow my parents instructions; yet I was quick to point out the errors of my brother or friend. As humans it is easy to focus on the negatives. A long wait in line at a restaurant, being overcharged at a store, someone driving too slow in the fast lane. God, you give so many blessings, from our families to our schools. The teachers that are in the building to the custodians that help keep the school clean.

During this Lenten season, help me have an open heart and open ears. Help me hear your voice and focus more on what I need to do to get to heaven as opposed to criticizing others. Help me be grateful for the gifts you have given me, not envious of my neighbor. I know that with you guiding me along the way, I will make the right decisions and think positively of others. Thank you God for the gifts that you have given me.

Please click play to join us in our prayer for today, led by Ms. Werschky's 7th grade class at St. John the Evangelist.