A Homily – The Sixth Sunday of
Ordinary Time (Year A)
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)
God, the creator of the universe, God has prepared the way for you, look ahead you can see it; the lane is clear and smooth, it yours to follow, and you must be mindful, for on the margins there are ruts and grooves, there are stones and roots, and other things to stumble on.
Consider this:
You may take which ever path you like, because all paths lead to the divine; stop and look and you will see that you are in its midst already…Look into the fire and there is God, dip your cup in the well and there is God.
Be mindful.
Water cleanses without hurt, fire cleanses as it burns; in the scriptures both fire and water are symbolic of the divine and our encounter with God’s spirit, turn around and God is with you, plant your feet and God is there. Close your eyes and stop your ears, God always remains…abiding in your heart.
Nothing evil comes from God, and without God not one thing exists, everything participates in the good.
Listen!
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, it is the seat of conscience, it is the house of reason, it is the spirit of wisdom that dwells within us.
God’s law is a living flame. Look into your heart, see it shimmering there, glowing amidst 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 fail at loving are not unloved by God. We are called on to love; even the hateful are called to love, as we are called to love them, knowing that love is the only cure for hatred.
When you petition God, do not petition God for favor; do not ask God for special treatment or to prefer you over any-other-one of God’s children...and do not promise to do for God what is not within your power to do.
When you petition the divine, be wise and ask for wisdom. Do not lie to God, or yourself when you petition God. Do not ask of God what it already lies within your power to do for yourself.
God will not rescue you until the end beyond the ending.
Now be mindful of the sacred text, always handle it with care and humility, it has been made a tool for human beings, the greater part of it is little more than vanity, propaganda and myth.
There is no mystery waiting to be found within its pages except for the mystery of love, which we are commanded to…as best as we may, to love one another as God loves us. This is the demand the divine law makes on our conscience; to act mercifully in the interest of justice, to live a life filled with compassion, and be humble while following the way.
When a leader arises among us, we must acknowledge them and their appointment if it is a reflection of the will of the people. When that leadership is pure and can we see that their work is holy, we must acknowledge that, but in the acknowledgment of these things it is important that we do not embellish a thing…let their work speak for itself, and the consequences that flow from their work speak to the generation to come…you will know the seed by the fruit that it bears.
Remember!
God speaks to all people. The voice of the creator speaks in the human heart.
There fore be mindful of what the gospel teaches!
Here is the good news: God loves you, and you are saved.
It is as simple as that: You are saved and you are loved.
You are not saved for anything that you have done, you did not earn it, you are saved because God loves you and for no other reason. The promise of gospel 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. That is the good news, believe it!
Believe it! And let the goodness of the promise flow through you, begin to live your life…renewed, Act as if you believed this 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, neither is it a bait and switch, it is a simple teaching that cannot be controlled or owned by any one group of people.
God has hidden nothing from you. The truth is in the openm it is there 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 meaning of justice, the freedom to hope and love, because the truth lies within us as we are all the children of God.
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, and they themselves the hers to the promise.
It is all vanity.
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, this is the way Jesus asked us to follow.
Just because a person is 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 a person the tell on how to fulfill the calling and follow Jesus. What matters is what is in the heart, and your willingness to trust in the content of your hops.
Consider the Gospel reading for today.
The way is simple and elegant, and among the most difficult paths to follow, though it is accepting of everyone and forgiving to all.
In the reading for today the writers of Matthew’s Gospel attempt to summarize Jesus’ teaching on the law. They had known Jesus, or who had been instructed in the faith by those who knew him, they believed sincerely that they understood what was in his heart.
Nevertheless, their summary of his teaching falls short of the mark, because, as with all matters pertaining to the divine, our capacity to understanding is conditioned by our life on Earth.
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; though it is not the world as it is, but the world as it could be, if we find the patience to see God in our neighbor and reconcile ourselves with the divine.
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, for as long as we cling to our sins.
We have a choice, one we can exercise right now; we may choose follow the way, to live in a community of peace and love, or to live in a world conditioned by fear and greed, strife and pain.
If we chose the way, no matter how much we may desire it, we cannot have it, or share it with others, if we are not reconciled to the community we live in. if we hold a grudge, if there is enmity; we must address these first and come to a place of healing.
Every action we take matters, but in the way, our intentions matter as much…and 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 determines the nature of our relationships with each other. To forgive and be forgiven, 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 in return.
First Reading – Ecclesiasticus 15:16-21 ©
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!
Alternative
Acclamation – Matthew 11 :25
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)
