We are in the middle of Lent. How is it going? Phenomenally great? Meh? Either way, we continue to move forward, and today’s Gospel is a big help. Jesus tells us what we need to do to be called the greatest in the kingdom. Follow the commandments and teach them to others. You see, there is no point in knowing the way to heaven and what the Good News is if we don’t share it with others. It is not necessary to have a degree in theology or speak with great eloquence. What is necessary is to be you, to be authentic; to live your life the way God intends. And how is that? I think most of us are called to live and serve in a community. Your family is your community. Your workplace, your parish, and your neighborhood are also communities where we live and serve with others.

It’s a good idea to know the Commandments Jesus is referring to, those God gave to Moses. You can find them in Exodus 20:2-17 and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part 3, Section 2. 

The Commandments are like guardrails; they keep us on the safe part of the road. I once drove every day to and from work on a road flanked by canals. I was grateful for those guardrails because they kept me from the canal, where we would occasionally see alligators! In life, there are many distractions and even dangers outside the guardrails of the Commandments. That is why we have them, not to confine us but to keep us safe. 

Jesus reminds us today to keep safe and to pass on what we know to others. I think that is a great way to spend time during Lent!

Contact the author