# Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time - A New Form of Justice Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/catholic-daily-reflections-334651/monday-of-the-eleventh-week-in-ordinary-time-a-new-form-of-justice Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/catholic-daily-reflections-334651/monday-of-the-eleventh-week-in-ordinary-time-a-new-form-of-justice.md Podcast: [Catholic Daily Reflections](https://stenobird.com/podcast/catholic-daily-reflections-334651) Published: 2026-06-14T09:00:16+00:00 Episode link: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/monday-of-the-eleventh-week-in-ordinary-time-a-new-form-of-justice--72089434 Audio file: https://api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72089434/monday_of_the_eleventh_week_in_ordinary_time_a_new_form_of_justice_1.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/catholic-daily-reflections-334651/episodes/monday-of-the-eleventh-week-in-ordinary-time-a-new-form-of-justice Duration seconds: 429 ## Resource Read Online Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil… Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles.” Matthew 5:38–39, 41 The phrase “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” refers to the Mosaic Law of Retaliation (cf. Exodus 21:23–25). When Moses instituted this law, vengeance often escalated in response to an injury, leading to cycles of increasing violence. The law served as a form of natural justice, ensuring that retribution was proportional to the offense, preventing conflicts from spiraling out of control. Though the purpose of the Law of Retaliation was to curb excessive vengeance and restore order, Jesus revealed that true reconciliation is achieved only through radical mercy. He taught that unlimited mercy is a far greater remedy for discord, breaking the cycle of retaliation at its root. Before His coming and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, humanity lacked the grace necessary to live out this higher calling. However, in Christ, His followers were empowered by divine grace to overcome cycles of vengeance—not with retribution, but with mercy. To illustrate this higher form of reconciliation, Jesus references a Roman law that allowed soldiers to compel Jews to carry their military equipment for one Roman mile—approximately 4,855 feet, slightly shorter than the modern mile. This law was a source of humiliation for Jews, who were often forced to drop what they were doing to serve their oppressors. They had little recourse against this injustice, making it a painful reminder of their subjugation. Jesus does not justify this injustice; rather, He transforms it by calling His followers to freely exceed the d… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/catholic-daily-reflections-334651/episodes/monday-of-the-eleventh-week-in-ordinary-time-a-new-form-of-justice/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/catholic-daily-reflections-334651/monday-of-the-eleventh-week-in-ordinary-time-a-new-form-of-justice.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.