Today's Message: 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time A
Sirach 15: 15-20; 1 Corinthians 2: 6-10; Matthew 5: 17-37
At times I find myself not wanting to decide; it seems easier that way. Harvey Cox, a well-recognized theologian, said, “Not to decide is to decide.” If I don’t want to take a position, someone else will and I will have to live with it or grumble about it. It becomes uncomfortable when I don’t like what they decide. Today’s readings bring this into focus because each of us has decisions to make in our lives. Our decisions can be superficial, as what to eat or what movie to go to, or much more difficult decisions concerning special relationships, life choices, careers decisions. Now values and living out these values rise to the top of our decision-making. Genesis 1:26-27 states it succinctly: “And then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground.’ God created man in His image, in the divine image He created him; male and female He created them.”
One of the amazing miracles of God is that He gave us free will. This is what separates us from all of creation. This is not a freedom to do what I want; it informs me plainly that I have an enormous responsibility. Am I going to live as God has directed me to live, or am I going to go along with my whims or with the latest fad? So the question is: How am I living in my relationship with God and with the people in my life? Am I choosing the path of helping, caring, forgiving and loving? Or am I conscious only of myself and my wants? Are my relationships growing and productive and bringing each of us closer to our final goal of heaven or not?
Paul explains this beautifully in Romans 8, which contains a total synopsis of what it means to be a Christian. “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us” (Romans 8:18). And Paul gives perhaps the most beautiful description of heaven: “For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38. So are my decisions and lifestyle leading me away from God’s plan, or am I growing more in my relationship with God? I need to be constantly growing in my relationship with God and with the people God has placed in my life … all the people … those I like and those who are difficult to like. God loves all: me and those I love and those who love me, and those I do not like or even love, and those who do like me or even love me. These really are my life-and-death decisions … the path of right living or not. I look to the readings for help.
Sirach puts it bluntly: “If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you.” The author, Jesus ben Sirach, spent his life dedicated to instructing his followers in deciphering the ways of God. For him this was the only true source of wisdom. God gave us free will. Three times in today’s reading Sirach shows how people have the capacity to make choices. Some choices lead to life, others death … there is good; there is evil. Overall it is following the path of foolishness or the path of wisdom. God gives each person the grace to see the right way, the way of wisdom. Every one must see that the basis of this wisdom is the individual’s total love that God has for each person. God is not disinterested in anyone. God wants everyone to love as He loves. Sirach sums it up so beautifully: “No one does He [God] command to act unjustly, to none does He give license to sin” (Sirach 15: 20). Jesus showed the depth of God’s desire for all to know of His love and His total desire for everyone’s salvation.
Paul reminds us to turn to God as Jesus described Him. The wisdom from Jesus is beyond anything and everything in the world. This wisdom is totally spiritual because we cannot comprehend what God has in store for us. How can I envision total love? Love that is unconditional? Love that is real and solid? Love that does not compromise?
We hear the words in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s gospel that God’s commands are love commands. They contain the total love of God. Law exists not simply to be observed but to be lived. These “laws” are to form me into a people that are people and individuals of love … of caring … of compassion. Jesus gives examples of how law, anger, adultery, divorce and oaths are viewed from God. Just because Jesus came as the Messiah, He has not done away with the Commandments. He has established the completeness of God’s law: the law of love. Everyone is to love one another in a profound way. We see this in His introductions, “You have heart that it was said to your ancestors. … But I say to you.” Each person has to go deep into the commandments and to be challenged by their deeper meaning. We are called to be framed into a people whose lives reflect the total respect and responsibility of love. I am to love as I am loved! I am not called to follow a law or a requirement but a person — Jesus. I am part of a community of believers who live Jesus, show Jesus, be Jesus to each person in my life. Can I do it by myself? No! God’s grace is the only way and it is always with me. Am I listening? Am I loving? Am I caring? Jesus said He came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it. He came to show us and tell us what God’s love is all about and how to live it. The law of love is the way to get access to God. Jesus offered Himself in this way: “I am the way.” Connections, ideas on the Gospel, offers these words: “Today’s Gospel is about attitude and perspective. Jesus asks us to consider not just our failing and sins … but the self-centeredness at the heart of our actions. To embrace happiness is a choice we make; we decide whether or not to engage the world with a perspective of hope and possibility. … To follow Jesus is to see the possibilities we have for doing good things and to accept God’s grace to make such good a reality.”
So I reflect on:
“These words are from the Sermon on the Mount. For the scribes and Pharisees, virtue was largely measured by external observance of the law. For Jesus, real virtue is in the heart. He expects honorable, respectful relationships between people. A Christian must be honest and trustworthy, a person of his word.
“What part of today’s Scripture touches me — and in what way? I pray over any phrases that inspire me or challenge me. I pray over any phrases that give me joy or that elicit some resistance within me.”
At times I find myself not wanting to decide; it seems easier that way. Harvey Cox, a well-recognized theologian, said, “Not to decide is to decide.” If I don’t want to take a position, someone else will and I will have to live with it or grumble about it. It becomes uncomfortable when I don’t like what they decide. Today’s readings bring this into focus because each of us has decisions to make in our lives. Our decisions can be superficial, as what to eat or what movie to go to, or much more difficult decisions concerning special relationships, life choices, careers decisions. Now values and living out these values rise to the top of our decision-making. Genesis 1:26-27 states it succinctly: “And then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground.’ God created man in His image, in the divine image He created him; male and female He created them.”
One of the amazing miracles of God is that He gave us free will. This is what separates us from all of creation. This is not a freedom to do what I want; it informs me plainly that I have an enormous responsibility. Am I going to live as God has directed me to live, or am I going to go along with my whims or with the latest fad? So the question is: How am I living in my relationship with God and with the people in my life? Am I choosing the path of helping, caring, forgiving and loving? Or am I conscious only of myself and my wants? Are my relationships growing and productive and bringing each of us closer to our final goal of heaven or not?
Paul explains this beautifully in Romans 8, which contains a total synopsis of what it means to be a Christian. “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us” (Romans 8:18). And Paul gives perhaps the most beautiful description of heaven: “For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38. So are my decisions and lifestyle leading me away from God’s plan, or am I growing more in my relationship with God? I need to be constantly growing in my relationship with God and with the people God has placed in my life … all the people … those I like and those who are difficult to like. God loves all: me and those I love and those who love me, and those I do not like or even love, and those who do like me or even love me. These really are my life-and-death decisions … the path of right living or not. I look to the readings for help.
Sirach puts it bluntly: “If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you.” The author, Jesus ben Sirach, spent his life dedicated to instructing his followers in deciphering the ways of God. For him this was the only true source of wisdom. God gave us free will. Three times in today’s reading Sirach shows how people have the capacity to make choices. Some choices lead to life, others death … there is good; there is evil. Overall it is following the path of foolishness or the path of wisdom. God gives each person the grace to see the right way, the way of wisdom. Every one must see that the basis of this wisdom is the individual’s total love that God has for each person. God is not disinterested in anyone. God wants everyone to love as He loves. Sirach sums it up so beautifully: “No one does He [God] command to act unjustly, to none does He give license to sin” (Sirach 15: 20). Jesus showed the depth of God’s desire for all to know of His love and His total desire for everyone’s salvation.
Paul reminds us to turn to God as Jesus described Him. The wisdom from Jesus is beyond anything and everything in the world. This wisdom is totally spiritual because we cannot comprehend what God has in store for us. How can I envision total love? Love that is unconditional? Love that is real and solid? Love that does not compromise?
We hear the words in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s gospel that God’s commands are love commands. They contain the total love of God. Law exists not simply to be observed but to be lived. These “laws” are to form me into a people that are people and individuals of love … of caring … of compassion. Jesus gives examples of how law, anger, adultery, divorce and oaths are viewed from God. Just because Jesus came as the Messiah, He has not done away with the Commandments. He has established the completeness of God’s law: the law of love. Everyone is to love one another in a profound way. We see this in His introductions, “You have heart that it was said to your ancestors. … But I say to you.” Each person has to go deep into the commandments and to be challenged by their deeper meaning. We are called to be framed into a people whose lives reflect the total respect and responsibility of love. I am to love as I am loved! I am not called to follow a law or a requirement but a person — Jesus. I am part of a community of believers who live Jesus, show Jesus, be Jesus to each person in my life. Can I do it by myself? No! God’s grace is the only way and it is always with me. Am I listening? Am I loving? Am I caring? Jesus said He came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it. He came to show us and tell us what God’s love is all about and how to live it. The law of love is the way to get access to God. Jesus offered Himself in this way: “I am the way.” Connections, ideas on the Gospel, offers these words: “Today’s Gospel is about attitude and perspective. Jesus asks us to consider not just our failing and sins … but the self-centeredness at the heart of our actions. To embrace happiness is a choice we make; we decide whether or not to engage the world with a perspective of hope and possibility. … To follow Jesus is to see the possibilities we have for doing good things and to accept God’s grace to make such good a reality.”
So I reflect on:
- What does it mean to me for Jesus to be “the way?”
- Where do I hold myself accountable? Where do I slack off on God’s law of love?
- How do I rid myself of the habits and characteristics which make me less than what I am called to be?
“These words are from the Sermon on the Mount. For the scribes and Pharisees, virtue was largely measured by external observance of the law. For Jesus, real virtue is in the heart. He expects honorable, respectful relationships between people. A Christian must be honest and trustworthy, a person of his word.
“What part of today’s Scripture touches me — and in what way? I pray over any phrases that inspire me or challenge me. I pray over any phrases that give me joy or that elicit some resistance within me.”
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