TUESDAY, ELEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1 Kgs 21:17-29 Ps 51:3-6,11,16 Mt 5:43-48
GREED TO GRACE
Fatal land disputes often arise from familial tensions or long standing hostility over property, sometimes ending in shocking violence. In January 2026, a 62-year-old man was beaten to death by relatives in Mandya, Karnataka. Such incidents, brothers hiring attackers, sons turning against fathers, and deadly clashes over possession are sadly becoming common. It reveals a disturbing truth that we are often not content with what we are given; instead, we are greedy and encroach into another’s property and claim it as our own, losing sight of justice, compassion and peace.
The first reading mirrors this tragic reality. Ahab and Jezebel, driven by a lust for possession, falsely accuse and kill Naboth of Jezreel, for what seems almost absurd, merely a piece of land to grow vegetables. The reason appears so tiny, yet the sin is so grave. In the pursuit of gain, the dignity of human life is forgotten. As Pope Francis reminds us in Fratelli Tutti, “The world exists for everyone, because all of us were born with the same dignity.” Yet the readings do not end in sin; they open a door to grace. The intervention of Elijah awakens Ahab’s conscience. He recognizes his wrongdoing, repents, and humbles himself. Remarkably, the wrath of God is tempered. Here lies hope that no sin is beyond redemption when the heart turns back and seeks mercy.
The Gospel takes us even deeper. It is human to retaliate and to seek revenge, but to forgive and pray for those who persecute us is divine. As Saint Augustine once exclaimed, “To withhold forgiveness is to take poison and expect the unforgiven to die.” Jesus invites us to this higher path. He knows that hatred poisons the heart, while forgiveness heals it. To carry anger is to burden oneself; to forgive is to be set free and to reclaim one’s peace. Perfection, then, is not in power or possession, but in becoming like the Heavenly Father, merciful, patient, and loving. Though sinners we are, each day offers us a chance to rise, to love beyond measure, and to choose life over destruction, grace over hatred and peace over revenge.
Response: Have mercy, O Lord, for we have sinned.
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