Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua
June 13, 2022
Daily Reading from the USCCB: Matthew 5:38-42
“An eye for an eye….” We understand this saying of the law to permit us to injure our neighbor if our neighbor has injured us. Actually it was intended to restrict revenge and to keep violence within limits. “An eye for an eye and no more.”
Jesus teaches that even this limited vengeance is not appropriate. Jesus urges his followers to forgo the retaliation permitted by the Old Testament and thus interrupt the cycle of revenge. Doing violence to others solves nothing even when the violence is a response to injustice. All that makes real sense in dealing with others is generosity and forgiveness.
Once again Jesus does not abolish the law but goes beyond it. How does this teaching fit in my life?
