Deepening the connection

Scripture for Mass

Sirach 15:15-20

Psalm: 119(118): 1-2. 4-5. 17-18. 33-34.   Response: 1b

1 Corinthians 2:6-10

Matthew 5:17-37

Thanks to modern technology, we have countless opportunities to communicate with people near and far.  Yet, while the number of people on our contact list and the frequency of our communication may have risen substantially in recent years, it seems too easy to assume that the quality of our relationships has also improved.

The reality is that many of us simply scan our text messages, skim over emails, and scroll through social media while interacting with the people around us or attending to another task. All of this suggests that, since we seldom engage wholeheartedly with people either online or in our immediate environment, many of our relationships are shallow.

While in today’s gospel reading from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus invites us to reflect on the morality of a sample list of actions, his real concern is the quality of our relationships. Through various examples, he draws a contrast between relationships based on generally accepted religious practises and those based on a commitment from the heart. He asks us to consider if we are simply going through the motions of relating, forgiving, and caring for others or if we are genuinely dedicated to building respectful, trusting and loving relationships. Moreover, he reminds us that our way of relating to God and to others are as inseparable as the two sides of a coin.

In our present age, then, Jesus’ teaching is an invitation to move away from constant, compulsive, casual communication in order to focus instead on nurturing heart-to-heart relationships with God and with others.