YES!

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away…If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.

At my first parish, Corpus Christi, in Stone Mountain, Georgia, with machete in hand, I asked for volunteers. Didn't get one.

Later, I remember sharing this with some inner-city gang members in Chicago's Back of the Yards area. One of them shot back, Whoever said that must have been crazy. Perhaps that thought has crossed your mind as well. Well, let's probe deeper.

Years earlier, while serving at Our Lady of Fatima in Perth Amboy, NJ, I would trek up to Bear Mountain, NY (near West Point) or to Delaware Water Gap on the border of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, particularly in the Fall. The rainbow of colors was glorious and breath-taking!

At the latter place, I would hike the wooded trails, one of which led to a scenic, serene mountain-top lake. There was just one little problem - the trail was not well marked. Arrows were painted on wooden posts every mile or so marking the path. In between, about every quarter mile, stacked rocks pointed one in the right direction. Miss those rocks and one could easily be lost.

Today, Sirach and Psalm 119 speak of laws and commandments to guide us as we journey on what St. Paul calls a previously mysterious and hidden path.

Jesus came to reveal this spiritual path. He said, I am the way.

At the beginning of Christianity, followers were said to be on The Way.  Even today a popular spiritual movement is the Cursillo, which in Spanish means the little way.

Our gospel today continues with the Sermon on the Mount, with Matthew revealing Jesus as the new Moses – the new and true liberator, (with his version of the Ten Commandments – the Beatitudes).   

Jesus said, I did not come to change the law but to fulfill it!

Fulfillment (for him and for us) demands more than just following the rules. I can certainly relate to that both from my corporate experience and in raising a son. In the corporate world, working 50, 60 or more hours per week was (and may still be) the rule. But it took more than simply putting in 50-60 hours a week to move up the corporate ladder. Likewise, as a father I set certain rules for my son. But it took more than these do’s and don’ts to help shape his character. 

So, too, we see with Jesus. More than following rules, he came to model God's law. He said, I am the way, the truth and the life. In essence telling us, If you want life with me...if you want to be like me...there's only one way...be a person of truth…be a character of integrity.

Integrity: if you have it nothing else matters; if you don't have it, nothing else matters.

In other words, let your YES mean YES! 

This is the heart of today’s gospel: Jesus was not "crazy"; not some irrational radical when he said, It’s not enough to not kill, to not commit adultery, to not lie…even your thoughts must be pure…

Let’s take some real life examples: What would you do if you went shopping and the cashier mistakenly gave you a $20 bill instead of a $10? Would you return the ten? Would you hesitate?

Tax season has begun. Are we tempted to claim a medical tax deduction for veterinary fees? (After all many say that our pets are part of the family.)

Temptations abound to lead us astray. The commandments to not kill, to not commit adultery, to not lie are like the wooden arrows pointing the way to the tranquil lake.

Our thoughts are like the small stacks of rocks…any digression, and we could easily get lost in our quest for deep peace.

My sisters and brothers, the journey of life is not up some mountain trail to find a beautiful vista and peaceful lake, but within…to discover true inner peace and the amazing presence of Christ.

The only way to do so is to be attentive to the small stacks of rocks…our thoughts...our conscience. Following these guideposts will lead us to our prized destination: Christ.

And step by step we will also shape our character!