St. Matthew Catholic Church

Weekly Message     

Rules Vs Relationship

Dear brothers and sisters,   

      Jesus says something striking today: “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees…” At first, this sounds unfair. The Pharisees were serious about their faith. They followed the rules carefully. Yet Jesus says that following rules is not enough. God wants more - He wants our hearts—relationships.

     In a marriage, a husband might say, “I never cheated, I never lied, I provide for my family.” All of that may be true, but if there is no affection, no kindness, no forgiveness, the marriage is still broken. Faith can be the same way. We can “keep the commandments” but still carry anger, resentment, or selfishness inside. Jesus is not lowering the Law; He is revealing its true purpose: love.

     One day, a frog decided to climb a tall tree. As soon as he started, all the other frogs at the bottom began shouting: “Stop!” “It’s too high!” “You’ll never make it!” But the little frog kept going. Higher and higher, step by step, until he reached the top. Everyone was stunned. How did he do it? Turns out... He was deaf. He couldn’t hear a word they were saying. He thought they were cheering for him. Moral: Be deaf to negativity when you’re chasing something important. People will doubt you, discourage and project their fears on you. Don’t let that stop you. Keep climbing. Your belief in yourself matters more than their noise.

     Jesus never asks us to do this alone. We come not because we are holy, but because we need Him. Christ enters us, reshapes our desires. What once felt impossible becomes possible — not by effort alone, but by grace. His grace is enough for us to remain in our relationship of love. The rules are to build relationship; and not to control one another. Let us choose life, and renew our relationships and glorify God.

Blessings!

Msgr. Xavier Pappu
                     Insert:  Giving to God/Dar a Dios.pdf

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