The first Reading St Paul in his letter to the Corinthians explicitly refers to the veil that had obstructed the children of Israel from gazing at an overpowering glory on the face of Moses. This veil though destroyed by the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus on the cross sadly remains over the eyes of many.

The different forms of veils which obstruct us from experiencing God’s power and presence are so subtle that there is a darkness which broods within us not allowing us total freedom. Prejudice, pride, fragmented thinking, disobedience, an unteachable spirit – the blindness caused by the world and its temptations that control and govern us as the flesh give way, darkness envelops us without our knowledge.

If we contemplate Christ in the end, we come to reflect Him. St Paul says where the Spirit is there is liberty. If our obedience to God is based on obedience to a code of laws, we will be in a position of an unwilling slave. But when it comes from the spirit of our heart, the center of our being has no other desire than to serve God, for then it is not law but love that binds us. Love, clothes the humblest and most menial of tasks with glory. ‘In Gods service we find our perfect freedom’. The veil is removed, there is a light that dispels darkness.

St. Mathew’s Gospel proclamation amplifies this. Hardly a day goes by without the news of a murder or some moral misconduct. We are appalled at these atrocities and feel quite self- righteous before God in comparison to those committing these crimes. This is the kind of righteousness that characterized the Jewish religious leaders Let us examine our hearts. Our own resentments and hatreds, even though we keep them in check, violate the greatest commandment Jesus taught us. Love of God and Love of neighbour. I should not be jealous of that co-worker, or resent my boss for correcting me or not appreciating the things I do. What about my own family? My spouse? my children? How do I handle these relationships? The Kingdom of God calls for reconciliation, not just an acknowledgement of wrong behaviour. Saint John Paul II in a talk given in the Netherlands, as the Pope, said this. “External observances of the law have no great value if the heart is blind or wicked….

Prayer: Heavenly Father by the power of your Holy Spirit heal my blindness and dispel the darkness, that your light may shine through me. Amen