Reflection on the Holy Gospel according to Matthew

" If you wish to be perfect go and sell all that you have and then come and follow me."

This is a great verse from the Holy Gospel of Matthew because it teaches us about the importance of charity and giving things up. It teaches us the importance of freely giving to those less fortunate, and to steer away from things of this world and instead turn to Christ. Not only is this exerpt from Matthew talking about giving away the objects of this world that we tightly hold on to, but it is also saying that we need to freely give up ourselves and the way we live.

This verse preached to us by Matthew teaches us how to find out what we truly need in our lives, and that the only way we can discover what we need, which is Christ alone, is by giving up of evil ways. Our lives are so dark, evil, dirty, full of guilt, and sometimes very far from Christ's love. Though this is true, we sometimes forget God's love and how he wants our hearts that are dark, so that He can make them light, joyful, happy, and full of love and zeal for him. God wants us to give up ourselves, our past, and all of our wrong doings. Sometimes we are so full of guilt that we feel that our pasts are too full of evil for us to still be considered God's children.

We must not let our guilt fill us up because God loves us unconditionally! He does not care how much wrong we have done to him in the past! He does not care about our deepest darkest sins that we are often so ashamed of, because He has already conquered our guilt, our sin, our doubts through His Son's dying and rising. We must realize that our sin is already forgiven, and that God will always love us. However we must be willing to come to him and ask of his mercy. God wants us to come to Him so that He may cleanse us from our sins.

And so as this reflection is coming to a close, I wish to share with you a series of lyrics from a song which is so fitting for this reflection on this Gospel verse. The band is a Christian band called Tenth Avenue North and the song is entitled Beloved. Keep in my that this lyric is written from God's perspective.

" Love of my life, look deep in my eyes, there you will find what you need, give Me your life, the lust and the lies, the past your afraid I might see, you've been running away from Me! Your My beloved, lover I'm yours, death shall not part us, its you I died for, for better or worse, forever we'll be, our love it unites us, it binds you to Me, it's a mystery. Love of My life, look deep in My eyes, there you will find what you need, I'm the Giver of Life, I'll clothe you in whine, My immaculate bride you will be, Oh come running home to Me!"

For God longs for us and for our dirty, dark, evil souls to come to Him so that He so that he can make us clean and give us new life!