2 Cor 3:14 - 4:1, 3-6 / Matthew 5:20-26
It is presumed that the taller the tree, the deeper should the roots be.
By the same token, the taller the building, the deeper the foundations.
The test of the depth of the roots and foundations is when the tree is subjected to strong winds and when the building is shaken by an earthquake.
When trees get uprooted by strong winds or when a building collapses from an earthquake, the depth of the roots and foundations is exposed.
Similarly, a person’s character is exposed when there is a crisis.
Crisis does not build character. Crisis only exposes a person’s character.
Our character is formed by our virtues, and our virtues need to grow deeper in order to face the trials and crises.
Our virtues can only grow deeper when our lives are firmly rooted in the Lord Jesus.
When our lives are rooted firmly in the Lord Jesus, then, as the 1st reading puts it, even our faces will reflect the brightness of the Lord.
And not just our faces, but we will be turned into the image of God whose brightness we reflect.
May our prayer be deeper, so that our virtues will grow deeper, and that we will stand firm in the Lord against the trials and temptations of life.