Mga kapatid, we Filipinos value pakikisama and social harmony. We are very conscious of what others see. We make sure our house is clean ...
Mga kapatid, we Filipinos value pakikisama and social harmony. We are very conscious of what others see. We make sure our house is clean when visitors come, even if the bedrooms are messy. We smile even when we are hurting because we don't want to be a burden. Sometimes, our faith becomes like that too—pakitang-tao (for show). We go to Mass, we follow the rules, we don't kill, we don't steal. We think, "Okay na ako, good Catholic ako."
But in today’s Gospel, Jesus challenges this "surface-level" Christianity. He says, "You have heard that it was said... You shall not kill... but I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment."
Jesus is doing something radical here. He is moving the camera from the "action" to the "puso" (heart). He knows that in the Philippines, we rarely kill with guns, but we often kill with our tongues. We kill reputations with tsismis (gossip). We kill the spirit of our children with harsh words. We commit "murder" in our hearts when we hold onto tampo (grudges) for years, refusing to talk to a relative because of a dispute over a generic land title or an old debt.
Jesus is telling us: It is not enough that your hands are clean; your heart must be clean too.
I remember a story of a Lola (grandmother) who was very religious. She went to Mass every day, prayed the Rosary, and lit candles. But at home, she was a terror. She would shout at the househelp, criticize her daughter-in-law, and complain about everything. One day, her grandson asked innocently, "Lola, if you eat Jesus every day in Communion, why doesn't He change you?"
That child asked the question Jesus is asking us today. The Commandment is not just a fence to keep us from doing bad things; it is a ladder to help us love. Sirach, in the first reading, tells us: "Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him." We have a Choice.
Every day, we face these choices. When you are stuck in traffic on EDSA and a bus cuts you off, you have a choice: Curse or Patience? When you see an envelope of money left on a table, you have a choice: Honesty or Theft? When you are scrolling on social media and see something impure, you have a choice: Lust or Chastity?
These choices happen inside, where no one sees but God. This is where Charity begins. Real charity is not just giving coins to a beggar; it is giving patience to an annoying spouse. It is forgiving someone who hasn't even apologized.
Mga kapatid, let us not be content with being "good" on the outside. God wants your heart. He wants the loob, not just the labas. Today, ask the Lord to perform "heart surgery" on you. Ask Him to remove the anger, the inggit (envy), and the hidden sins. Let us aim for a righteousness that exceeds the scribes and Pharisees—a righteousness that comes from a heart truly in love with God.
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