will be liable to judgment,
and whoever says to his brother, Raqa,
will be answerable to the Sanhedrin,
and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Mt 5
Which of us in anger or frustration has not, at least in our head, used an undesirable name for an opponent? And we sometimes recall with amusement that the epithet, Raqa, means "blockhead." But in God's kingdom there is no place for name-calling. Jesus begs us to respect and reverence one another, no matter what we have suffered at their hands.
Lord Jesus, teach us how to be gentle and accepting, to swallow a bitter remark and instead to give a blessing.
Photograph of the Abbey scriptorium by Brother Brian.
