Radical Interior Holiness: Fulfill the Law Through Lent

Jesus clarifies that his mission does not abolish the law and the prophets but fulfills them, raising the demands of holiness from external compliance to interior transformation. The Gospel of Matthew insists that even the smallest letter of the law endures until its completion and that obedience and teaching of the commandments determine standing in the kingdom. Jesus intensifies moral requirements by condemning anger as liable to judgment and lust as an internal adultery, calling for reconciliation before worship and radical severance from anything that leads the heart into sin.

Jesus demands a righteousness that surpasses the scribes and Pharisees, not to endorse legalism but to call the heart beyond mere ritual observance. The new covenant increases the degree of difficulty by focusing on interior dispositions because believers now receive the grace to pursue deeper holiness. Luke’s reminder that “to whom much is given, much is expected” underscores that the Christian vocation involves greater responsibility precisely because God equips and accompanies those called.

Lent arrives as an intentional season to practice disciplines that form interior virtue and unite hearts to Christ’s suffering. The cultural trend of cold-water plunges illustrates how deliberate discomfort can yield physical and mental benefits, but the church directs penances toward spiritual communion with Christ’s passion rather than self-improvement alone. The catechism frames a threefold remedy—prayer against the lust for power, fasting against the pursuit of pleasure, and almsgiving against attachment to possessions—and the church urges concrete choices in each category to foster growth in holiness.

Practical suggestions from children model accessible Lenten commitments: read Scripture daily, pray a decade of the rosary, offer thanks, give up sweets or certain technology habits, share toys, and help with household chores. These small sacrifices please the Lord by expressing sincere desire for conversion and openness to grace. The liturgy culminates in the Eucharistic prayer, memorializing Christ’s self-gift, and calls the faithful to live as a unified body, nourished and sent to glorify God through transformed lives.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Jesus fulfills and deepens the law Jesus does not remove the Mosaic commands but intensifies them, revealing that salvation demands transformation of desire, not merely reform of behavior. This fulfillment aims to heal motives and align hearts with divine righteousness rather than to burden with empty observance. The law’s completion exposes interior sins that outward rules alone cannot touch. [20:56]
• 2. Righteousness must exceed the scribes Jesus commends zeal for the law yet insists on a righteousness that surpasses formalism; moral fervor must translate into interior integrity. Authentic religion refuses hypocrisy and cultivates humility, charity, and inward purity that outstrip mere external conformity. True greatness in God’s kingdom springs from heart-transformed action. [21:31]
• 3. Interior demands require divine grace The new covenant raises difficulty because it targets the inner life, and God supplies the grace needed to endure and change. Trials and disciplines expose weakness so believers learn dependence on God rather than self-reliance. Spiritual growth proceeds through struggle paired with God’s empowering presence. [27:15]
• 4. Lent’s disciplines counter vice Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving address power, pleasure, and possessions by reorienting desire toward God and neighbor. These practices do not primarily aim at self-improvement but at union with Christ’s suffering and participation in his redemptive work. Small, sustained sacrifices open hearts to mercy and transformation. [30:57]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [12:05] - Penitential Rite & Confession
• [12:24] - Gloria in Excelsis
• [14:01] - Collect Prayer
• [20:56] - Gospel Reading: Law Fulfilled
• [21:31] - Exceeding the Scribes' Righteousness
• [27:15] - Interior Demands and Divine Grace
• [29:01] - Lent Arrives: Why It Matters
• [31:20] - Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving Explained
• [32:01] - Children's Lenten Suggestions
• [42:23] - Eucharistic Prayer Begins
• [46:14] - Consecration and Memorial
• [50:05] - Communion and Final Blessing

Bible reading
Matthew 5:17-30 (ESV)
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.”

Observation questions

1. What specific examples does Jesus use to show how he is "fulfilling" the Law rather than abolishing it?
2. According to the passage, what are the two different outcomes for a person based on how they treat "the least of these commandments"?
3. What does Jesus say is the necessary first step if you remember a conflict while offering a gift at the altar?
4. What radical solution does Jesus propose for dealing with a body part that causes you to sin?

Interpretation questions

1. Why would Jesus say that a person's righteousness must *exceed* that of the scribes and Pharisees, a group known for their strict external observance of the law? What is the difference between their righteousness and the kind Jesus describes?
2. Jesus condemns not just the act of murder but also anger and insult. What does this reveal about the type of transformation God desires, which goes beyond mere external compliance? [20:56]
3. The idea that "to whom much is given, much is expected" [26:22] is applied to the new covenant. In what ways have believers been given more grace or strength, and how does that correspond to the higher "degree of difficulty" in the Christian life? [27:15]
4. How do the practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving specifically counter the pursuits of power, pleasure, and possessions? [30:57]

Application questions

1. Jesus focuses on the heart's condition, like condemning lustful intent as adultery. What is one area of your inner life—your thoughts, desires, or motives—that you know doesn't align with God's standard, even if your external behavior seems okay?
2. The season of Lent is presented as a time for intentional disciplines that form interior virtue. [29:01] What is one concrete, small commitment you could make in prayer, fasting, or almsgiving this week to help reorient your heart toward God?
3. The call is to a righteousness that surpasses external rule-following. Where in your life are you most tempted to settle for just going through the motions of faith rather than pursuing a genuine, heart-deep relationship with God?
4. Reconciliation is prioritized even over worship. Is there a relationship in your life where you need to take the first step to "go and be reconciled" before you can truly offer your whole self to God?
5. The effort itself, the sincere desire to try and grow, is pleasing to God. [33:59] How does knowing that God values your effort, not just your perfect success, change your approach to spiritual disciplines and dealing with failure?
6. The new covenant provides grace for the higher demands of the interior life. [27:32] When you face a personal weakness or a recurring sin, what would it look like to actively rely on God's supplied strength instead of your own willpower?