The Memorial of Saint Gregory of Narek
"But if the wicked turns from all his sins that he has committed, and keeps all my statutes, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live. He shall not die. None of his transgressions that he has committed will be remembered against him. In his righteousness that he has done, he shall live. Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked?"says the Lord GOD, "and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?
"But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, should he live? None of his righteous deeds that he has done will be remembered. In his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them he shall die.
"Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not equal.'Hear now, house of Israel: Is my way not equal? Aren't your ways unequal? When the righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies in it, then he dies in his iniquity that he has done. Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he will save his soul alive. Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live. He shall not die.
Out of the depths I have cried to you, Lord. Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my petitions.
If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, therefore you are feared.
I wait for the Lord. My soul waits. I hope in his word. My soul longs for the Lord more than watchmen long for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. Israel, hope in the Lord, for there is loving kindness with the Lord. Abundant redemption is with him.
Israel, hope in the Lord, for there is loving kindness with the Lord. Abundant redemption is with him. He will redeem Israel from all their sins.
For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
"You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, 'You shall not murder;' and 'Whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' But I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be in danger of the judgment. Whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' will be in danger of the council. Whoever says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.
"If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly while you are with him on the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison. Most certainly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there until you have paid the last penny.
Saint Gregory of Narek, an eleventh-century Armenian monk, earned recognition as a Doctor of the Church for his profound spiritual poetry that captures the human heart's deepest longings for God. His masterwork, "The Book of Lamentations," reveals someone who understood both human frailty and divine mercy with extraordinary depth.
The readings today circle around a truth Gregory knew intimately: God's relentless desire for our return. Notice how Ezekiel presents conversion not as a one-time event but as an ongoing choice. The righteous can fall, the wicked can rise, and neither past virtue nor past sin determines our present standing before God. What matters is the direction we're facing right now.
This reality meets us in the most ordinary moments. Consider the coworker who irritates us, the family member whose habits grate against our patience, or the stranger who cuts us off in traffic. Jesus pushes beyond the obvious prohibition against murder to address the anger that festers in our hearts. The movement here is from external compliance to internal transformation.
There's something both challenging and liberating in Christ's call to leave our gift at the altar when relationships need mending. Ancient worshippers would bring their best offerings to the temple, yet Jesus suggests that reconciliation with our neighbor takes precedence over religious ritual. The sacrifice God desires most is a heart willing to make peace.
Like the psalmist crying from the depths, we find ourselves caught between our failures and God's faithfulness. The tension isn't meant to crush us but to drive us toward that abundant redemption always available.
What relationships in your life need the kind of attention that would make you leave your gift at the altar? How might God be inviting you to turn toward life today, even in small ways?