First
Reading – Ecclesiasticus 15:16-21 ©
Responsorial
Psalm – Psalm 118(119):1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34 ©
Second
Reading – 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 ©
Gospel
Acclamation – 1 Samuel 3:9, John 6:68
Alternative
Acclamation – Matthew 11 :25
The Gospel According to
Matthew – 5: 17 - 37 ©
(NJB)
The Sixth Sunday of
Ordinary Time (Year A)
God has prepared the way
for you, look ahead you can see it. The lane is clear and smooth and yours to
take, but on the margins there are ruts and grooves, there are stones and
roots, and other things to stumble on.
You may take which ever
path you like, because all paths lead to God.
Look into the fire and
there is God, dip your cup in the well and there is God.
Water cleanses without
hurt, fire cleanses as it burns, in both fire and water we encounter the
divine, turn around and God is with you, plant your feet and God is there. Close
your eyes and stop your ears, God remains.
God is with you in your
heart.
Nothing evil comes from
God, and all things bend toward the good.
Be mindful!
God’s law is written in our
hearts. God speaks to us there. All other versions of God’s law are merely
reflections of the divine law that each of us carries with us.
God’s law is a living
flame. Look into your heart see it shimmering there, wrapping itself around the
coals.
God’s law is to love, and
there is no other law. To love is its own reward. You will receive no other.
Remember this!
Those who do not love are
not unloved by God. We are called on to love, even the hateful, love is the only
cure for their hatred.
When you petition God;
the creator of the universe, do not petition God for favor. Do not ask God for
special treatment, do not ask God to prefer you over any other one of God’s
children. Do not promise to do for God what is not within your power to do.
Be wise and ask for
wisdom.
Do not lie to God, or
yourself when you petition God.
Do not ask from God what
it already lies within your power to do for yourself.
Be mindful of the sacred
text, it has been made a tool for human beings, and there are places, many
places that offer us a window on human vanity and nothing more.
There is no mystery in the
sacred text, there is only the commandment that we love one another as God
loves us. This is the demand that the divine law makes on our conscience; to
act mercifully in the interest of justice.
Live a life filled with
compassion, and you will be following the way.
When a leader arises in
our midst, we must acknowledge them and their appointment if it is a reflection
of the will of the people.
When that leadership is
pure, and we see that their work is holy, we must acknowledge that, but in the acknowledgment
of these things it is important to not embellish.
Remember that god speaks
to all people.
God, the creator of the
universe; God speaks in the human heart.
Be mindful of what the
gospel teaches!
Here is the good news; God
loves you, and you are saved. You are not saved for anything that you have
done, you did not earn it, you are saved because God loves you.
The promise of salvation
is not that you will be spared from suffering and torment in hell, or that when
you are judged God will forgive you.
God has already forgiven
you. You are already saved.
God has prepared you and
everyone for eternal life.
Believe it!
Let the goodness of the
promise flow through you, begin to live your life as if it were true.
We are not called to
believe in the idea that Jesus is this or that, the Holy One of God, we are
called to act on the principles of his faith, to live lives of charity and
service to each other.
The teachings of Jesus cannot be treated like a
shell game, though they are, and have been since the beginning, as Matthew’s
Gospel illustrates.
The way
of Jesus is not a long con, it is not a bait and switch, it is a simple
teaching that cannot be controlled or owned by any one group of people.
God, the creator of the universe, God has hidden
nothing from you. The truth is in the open for anyone to see.
The wise and the powerful, the learned and the
clever, the weak and the meek, everyone has access to the same truth, to the
knowledge of God, the understanding of justice, the freedom to hope and love.
Who are the wise and powerful, who are the learned
and the clever, who are the faithful and childlike. In every generation, you
will see a new group labeling the elder group as out of touch, blind,
privileged, in the dark, corrupt.
It is an endless cycle, and the truth remains the
same; love justice, be merciful, do good, serve God through the loving service
you provide to one another: your family, your friend, your neighbor, the
stranger, even your enemy.
That is the way Jesus asked us to follow.
Just because a person is be wise and powerful,
learned and clever, or a child of the church, does not mean they recognize the
truth when they see it, or act upon when they do.
It is not your station in society, it is not how
other people regard you, it is not the titles you have earned, or the ways that
you have been marginalized that give us the tell on how you will fulfill the
calling to follow Jesus. What matters is what is in your heart, and your
willingness to trust in the content of your hope.
Consider the Gospel reading for today.
The
way
is simple and elegant, and it is among the most difficult of challenges.
The
writers of Matthew’s Gospel attempted to summarize Jesus’ teaching on the law.
Those who had known Jesus, or who had been instructed in the faith by those who
did know him, they believed sincerely that they knew what was in Jesus’ heart.
Nevertheless,
their summary of it fell short of the mark, because, as with all matters
pertaining to the divine, and to God, the creator of the universe, our human
understanding falls short.
Know
this, in this passage, the kingdom of heaven which Jesus refers to, is not a
place beyond this world. It is the world we live in; it is not the world as it
is, but the world as it could be, if we set aside our sins.
Know
this, the hell which the gospels refer to is not a place beyond this world, it
is not the diametric opposite of heaven, it is the realm of the dead, it is the
place where we are, as we are still caught up in our sin.
We
have a choice, a choice we can exercise right now; to live in the way of
the divine, in a community of peace and love, or to live in a world conditioned
by fear and greed, characterized by strife and pain.
If
we chose the way, no matter how much we may desire it, we cannot have
it, be in it, bring others to it, if we are not reconciled to the community
that we live in. If we hold a grudge, if there is enmity, we must address these
first and come to a place of healing.
In
the way, what we do matters, but our intentions matter as much or more.
A
person may not be a thief, but if they covet their neighbor’s possessions there
is no peace between them. What we hold in our heart, that determines the nature
of our relationships with each other.
Forgive
and be forgiven, this is not a transaction, it is a simple injunction.
Let
go of the hardness and covetousness in your heart, accept the mercy that is
offered to you.
Be
loved, and love.
God
Predestined Wisdom to Be for Our Glory Before the Ages Began
If
you wish, you can keep the commandments, to behave faithfully is within your
power.
He
has set fire and water before you; put out your hand to whichever you prefer.
Man
has life and death before him; whichever a man likes better will be given him.
For
vast is the wisdom of the Lord; he is almighty and all-seeing.
His
eyes are on those who fear him, he notes every action of man.
He
never commanded anyone to be godless, he has given no one permission to sin.
Responsorial
Psalm – Psalm 118(119):1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34 ©
They
are happy who follow God’s law!
They
are happy whose life is blameless,
who
follow God’s law!
They
are happy who do his will,
seeking him with all their hearts.
They
are happy who follow God’s law!
You
have laid down your precepts
to be obeyed with care.
May
my footsteps be firm
to obey your statutes.
They
are happy who follow God’s law!
Bless
your servant and I shall live
and obey your word.
Open
my eyes that I may see
the wonders of your law.
They
are happy who follow God’s law!
Teach
me the demands of your statutes
and I will keep them to the end.
Train
me to observe your law,
to keep it with my heart.
They
are happy who follow God’s law!
Second
Reading – 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 ©
God
Predestined Wisdom to Be for Our glory Before the Ages Began
We
have a wisdom to offer those who have reached maturity: not a philosophy of our
age, it is true, still less of the masters of our age, which are coming to
their end. The hidden wisdom of God which we teach in our mysteries is the
wisdom that God predestined to be for our glory before the ages began. It is a
wisdom that none of the masters of this age have ever known, or they would not
have crucified the Lord of Glory; we teach what scripture calls: the things
that no eye has seen and no ear has heard, things beyond the mind of man, all
that God has prepared for those who love him.
These are the very things that God has
revealed to us through the Spirit, for the Spirit reaches the depths of
everything, even the depths of God.
Gospel Acclamation – 1 Samuel
3:9, John 6:68
Alleluia, alleluia!
Speak, Lord, your servant is listening:
you have the message of eternal life.
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.
Alleluia!
The Gospel According to
Matthew – 5: 17 - 37 ©
You Have Learnt How it
was Said to Our Ancestors; but I Say this to You
Jesus
said to his disciples: ‘Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or
the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. I tell you solemnly,
till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall
disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved. Therefore, the man who
infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do
the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who
keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven.
‘For
I tell you, if your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and
Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.
‘You
have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not kill; and if anyone
does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you: anyone
who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court; if a man
calls his brother “Fool” he will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and if a
man calls him “Renegade” he will answer for it in hell fire. So then, if you
are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother
has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and
be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your
offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on
the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the
judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly,
you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.
‘You
have learnt how it was said: You must not commit adultery. But I say this to you:
if a man looks at a woman lustfully, he has already committed adultery with her
in his heart. If your right eye should cause you to sin, tear it out and throw
it away; for it will do you less harm to lose one part of you than to have your
whole body thrown into hell. And if your right hand should cause you to sin,
cut it off and throw it away; for it will do you less harm to lose one part of
you than to have your whole body go to hell.
‘It
has also been said: Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a writ of
dismissal. But I say this to you: everyone who divorces his wife, except for
the case of fornication, makes her an adulteress; and anyone who marries a
divorced woman commits adultery.
‘Again,
you have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not break your oath,
but must fulfil your oaths to the Lord. But I say this to you: do not swear at
all, either by heaven, since that is God’s throne; or by the earth, since that
is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, since that is the city of the great king. Do
not swear by your own head either, since you cannot turn a single hair white or
black. All you need say is “Yes” if you mean yes, “No” if you mean no; anything
more than this comes from the evil one.’
The Sixth Sunday of
Ordinary Time (Year A)
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