For want of a nail

By KATHLEEN M. GALLAGHER- | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

FROM A READING FOR FEB. 12, SIXTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR
'It was said to those of ancient times, "You shall not murder." But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment...' -- Matthew 5:21-22

There is an old rhyme that goes: "For want of a nail, the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe, the horse was lost. For want of a horse, the rider was lost. For want of a rider, the message was lost. For want of a message, the battle was lost. For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost And all for the want of a horseshoe nail."

In Sunday's Gospel passage (Mt 5:17-37 or 20-22,27-28,33-34,37), we read: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish, but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place."

What is the Lord saying to us? What message can we glean from this passage as Christians in the world today?

One simple one is that little things mean a lot!

When we start to let the little things go in our spiritual life, that's when the big things start to go, as well. Little things mean a great deal.

Not overboard
This is not a call to scrupulosity, nor should we begin to become obsessive over details that aren't all that important, but there are some little things that can creep into our lives that aren't so good.

For instance, how about our daily time for prayer? If we're too busy to pray even a simple "Our Father" or "Hail Mary," maybe we're too busy and need to evaluate our time schedule.

How about little things during Mass? Do we allow ourselves the time to get to church before Mass to collect ourselves and recognize that what we do at the celebration of the Eucharist is the most important moment of our day? The Lord Jesus is coming to us, to be one with us in communion.

Good self-care
In our personal lives, do we really take care of ourselves, physically, emotionally and intellectually? When was the last time we were able to detach ourselves from our smart phones?

When was the last time we were able to update our own faith formation and learn what the Church teaches about an issue or what a document of the Church says, rather than rely on what others tell us about it?

Little things mean a lot. Sometimes, the kingdom is lost for the sake of a horseshoe nail. Take a look again at those little things that can one day lead to big things, if we don't address them.

(Other readings for this Sunday include Sir 15:15-20 and 1 Cor 2:6-10.)[[In-content Ad]]