A Homily – The Second Sunday of Lent (Year A)

A Homily – The Second Sunday of Lent (Year A)

First Reading – Genesis 12:1-4 ©

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 32(33):4-5, 18-20, 22 ©

Second Reading – 2 Timothy 1:8-10 ©

Gospel Acclamation – Matthew 17:5

The Gospel According to Matthew – 17:1 - 9 ©

 

(NJB)

  

Believe!

 Believe that it is possible for the entire world to be blessed through the actions of a single person.

 Believe it! Everything we say and do is a part of the whole, the reality of what is, conditioning he possibility of what may be. In this capacity we are divine agents in the process of creation.

 Know this:

 God, the creator of the universe, God does not intervene in human affairs. God does not show preference to one nation above another, one tribe over another, or one person over their sister and brother.

 God does not build nations, or intervene in their progress to make them great. God does not distribute blessings and curses capriciously. God has made every person, and the entire universe free.

 Be mindful of this!

 It is fitting to praise God. It is wise to trust in divine mercy; but do not expect God to rescue you from the dangers of the world. God does not intervene in worldly affairs, in any matter, public or private, great or small.  

 You have heard this said:

 God knows all things, God understands all things, but did you know that God’s knowledge is not an abstract knowledge of the particular details of individual events. God understands us, God knows our person, the choices we make and reason we make them, the divine spirit bears witness to our lives, understanding us even as we understand ourselves.

 Trust in God’s plan for you, in the plan for creation, but do not wait for salvation. Have faith in the divine who made you well at the beginning, proclaim it.

 We are saved already, we are saved by grace and no-one is excluded.

 Listen!

 We have been given the power to know the truth and love goodness, we are asked to be kind to be kind to one another and show mercy; Jesus showed you the way.

 Know this!

 Before the beginning of time God’s saving purpose was at work in creation. All that we experience here was conceived in the light of God’s salvific will.

 Let your mind dwell on this. God made us in the created order, and when God finished the divine work, God proclaimed that it was good, with us in it.

 Know this:

 God calls us to be holy, at all times the voice of God can be heard speaking in the heart, calling to us, inviting us into a life of compassion, the love that leads to wellbeing.

 God made us this way, and calls to us in this way, out of love. From the beginning of time God made plans for us, for all of us, determining that none shall be lost.

 Remember Jesus who revealed this through the love shared with the world, he showed us the way.

 Follow it!

 Consider the Gospel for today.

 As Christians we are bound to read it being mindful of its truthfulness. Therefore, let the Spirit of Truth guide us, even if it means rejecting the Gospel as written.

 Understand this:

 There may have been an event, when Jesus together with James and John went up the mountain by themselves.

 It may have been that at this time Jesus instructed his companions as to how his ministry was in keeping with that of Moses, the liberator and the law giver; as well as Elijah, the truthteller.

 Something like that may have happened but the supernatural events described in the reading for today…did not. All pretensions to supernatural activity must be read as metaphor or allegory, there is no other way.

 Be mindful!

 God does not engage in supernatural activities. God is the author of nature and of nature’s laws; God does not violate these laws for any reason.

 It may also be that Jesus wanted to connect his ministry to the mythology of Enoch, which was popular at this time, he may have taught this to the disciples, in order to prepare them for his passing and to establish the expectation of his return.

 Jesus did warn the disciples that his ministry would lead to his death, but like Enoch, the Son of Man, death would not stop him.

 Jesus may have wanted them to believe this, just as he may have wanted them to believe that the ministry of John the Baptist was being carried on through him.

 Read the Gospel in such a way that you strip away its fantastical elements, the magic and miracles; if they are not treated as metaphors, they elucidate nothing and insisting they are real is contrary to the way.

 Be mindful!

 This is not a historical narrative, but it tells us something about the historical faith of the community who compiled these texts, preserving them in this way for us to read.

First Reading – Genesis 12:1-4 ©

All the Tribes of the Earth Shall Bless Themselves by You

The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name so famous that it will be used as a blessing.

‘I will bless those who bless you: I will curse those who slight you.

All the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you.’

So Abram went as the Lord told him.

 

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 32(33):4-5, 18-20, 22 ©

May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.

The word of the Lord is faithful

  and all his works to be trusted.

The Lord loves justice and right

  and fills the earth with his love.

May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.

The Lord looks on those who revere him,

  on those who hope in his love,

to rescue their souls from death,

  to keep them alive in famine.

May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.

Our soul is waiting for the Lord.

  The Lord is our help and our shield.

May your love be upon us, O Lord,

  as we place all our hope in you.

May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.

 

Second Reading – 2 Timothy 1:8-10 ©

God Calls and Enlightens Us

With me, bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News, relying on the power of God who has saved us and called us to be holy – not because of anything we ourselves have done but for his own purpose and by his own grace. This grace had already been granted to us, in Christ Jesus, before the beginning of time, but it has only been revealed by the Appearing of our saviour Christ Jesus. He abolished death, and he has proclaimed life and immortality through the Good News.

 

Gospel Acclamation – Matthew 17:5

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

From the bright cloud the Father’s voice was heard:

‘This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.’

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

 

The Gospel According to Matthew – 17:1 - 9 ©

His Face Shone Like the Sun

Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone. There in their presence he was transfigured: his face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light. Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them; they were talking with him. Then Peter spoke to Jesus. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He was still speaking when suddenly a bright cloud covered them with shadow, and from the cloud there came a voice which said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour. Listen to him.’ When they heard this the disciples fell on their faces overcome with fear. But Jesus came up and touched them. ‘Stand up,’ he said ‘do not be afraid.’ And when they raised their eyes they saw no one but only Jesus.

As they came down from the mountain Jesus gave them this order, ‘Tell no one about the vision until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.’

 

Second Sunday of Lent (Year A)

A Homily - First Sunday of Lent (Year A)

A Homily - First Sunday of Lent (Year A)

First Reading – Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7 ©

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 50(51):3-6, 12-14, 17 ©

Second Reading – Romans 5:12-19 ©

Gospel Acclamation – Matthew 4:4

The Gospel According to Matthew – 4:1 - 11 ©

 

(NJB)

 

Listen!

The 1^st reading for today presents an etiological myth concerning the origins of humanity, and the transgression into sin.

It is vague and explains very little.

The narrative demonstrates a simple belief that God created the universe on the macro scale (time and space), and also on the micro scale insofar as the creator causes to be organic life on earth, including all of the things beings belonging to it. Finally, the myth intends to convey a fundamental belief that what God has created is good, including human beings.

The myth also conveys the notion that there are laws that govern creation, and that human beings are intended to be subject to them It also teaches that human beings are free, even to the point of being able to violate those laws, but that there will be consequences for any such transgression.

These principles should be taken seriously. Nevertheless, it is important to know this about the divine law and what God’s justice truly iss:

With God there is never justice without mercy.

When we seek forgiveness from God, we are looking for something that already found us. When we are contrite, our contrition is like a shower that washes us.

God has forgiven us, God forgave us before we ever sinned or came to the knowledge of sin, knowing that we would.

Be mindful.

We are all sinners, subject to our animal nature; we are no different than the wolf or the lion, except in that the divine speaks to us from our innermost being. God is present at our core; in this way God gives us the power, and the grace to overcome that animal nature so that we may live a life of conscience.

This is what it means to be created in the divine image, a seed of the word within us and the knowledge of good and evil.

Know this!

There is no crime that God has not forgiven.

Do not look for God’s hand in the tribulations we suffer here, or the rewards we enjoy on earth, the good and the bad are both like the wind, fleeting and ephemeral.

Remember!

The scope of the creature’s actions, and the consequences that flow from sin, cannot exceed the scope of the divine intention and the power of grace to heal them.

Consider the Gospel reading for today and know that there is no devil, there is no deceiver except the deceiver that lies in our own hearts.

God has given us the ability to know the truth, and discern good from evil. God has also given each of us the ability to deny the truth, reject it, to lie to ourselves and others.

Be mindful.

The lies we tell always originate in our own heart. We tell them first to ourselves, before we try to convince others about the truth of what is not.

We face many temptations as human beings. The reading for today highlights three of the most basic forms that the temptation to do evil might take.

The temptation to turn stones into bread is not the temptation to perform a magic trick, it is an acknowledgement that we are at times tempted toward injustice by the simplest and most ordinary things…by hunger and thirst, by the necessity of meeting our most basic needs.

Any of us, when faced with making those hard choices, the choice to feed ourselves, our children, the ones we love, all of us will at least contemplate breaking the laws of the state, the laws of Church and God, in order to provide for those in our care.

Some would only contemplate the transgression, most would move forward and do the deed.

The temptation to throw himself off the wall of the temple, was not the temptation to rely on a supernatural power for safety and protection, it was the temptation to vanity which we all suffer from. The temptation is to believe in oneself so much that we risk any danger, even risk our own lives, and therefore the well-being of everyone who depends on us, out of the belief that we can do no wrong, or that nothing can harm us.

The third temptation was not the temptation to rule the world, because that is the temptation to fantasy. The third temptation is the temptation rooted in the love of wealth and lust for power, which is the most ordinary temptation of all.

To succumb to these temptation, to yield to any of them, is to suborn our faith in the way that Jesus taught us, putting in its place faith in our own machinations, like a will to power.

First Reading – Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7 ©

The Creation, and the Sin of Our First Parents

The Lord God fashioned man of dust from the soil. Then he breathed into his nostrils a breath of life, and thus man became a living being.

The Lord God planted a garden in Eden which is in the east, and there he put the man he had fashioned. The Lord God caused to spring up from the soil every kind of tree, enticing to look at and good to eat, with the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the garden.

Now the serpent was the most subtle of all the wild beasts that the Lord God had made. It asked the woman, ‘Did God really say you were not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?’ The woman answered the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden. But of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, “You must not eat it, nor touch it, under pain of death.”’ Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘No! You will not die! God knows in fact that on the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.’ The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasing to the eye, and that it was desirable for the knowledge that it could give. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She gave some also to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realised that they were naked. So they sewed fig-leaves together to make themselves loin-cloths.

 

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 50(51):3-6, 12-14, 17 ©

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.

  In your compassion blot out my offence.

O wash me more and more from my guilt

  and cleanse me from my sin.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

My offences truly I know them;

  my sin is always before me

Against you, you alone, have I sinned;

  what is evil in your sight I have done.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

A pure heart create for me, O God,

  put a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from your presence,

  nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Give me again the joy of your help;

  with a spirit of fervour sustain me,

O Lord, open my lips

  and my mouth shall declare your praise.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

 

Second Reading – Romans 5:12-19 ©

However Great the Number of Sins Committed, Grace was Even Greater

Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned. Sin existed in the world long before the Law was given. There was no law and so no one could be accused of the sin of ‘law-breaking’, yet death reigned over all from Adam to Moses, even though their sin, unlike that of Adam, was not a matter of breaking a law.

Adam prefigured the One to come, but the gift itself considerably outweighed the fall. If it is certain that through one man’s fall so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming through the one man, Jesus Christ, came to so many as an abundant free gift. The results of the gift also outweigh the results of one man’s sin: for after one single fall came judgement with a verdict of condemnation, now after many falls comes grace with its verdict of acquittal. If it is certain that death reigned over everyone as the consequence of one man’s fall, it is even more certain that one man, Jesus Christ, will cause everyone to reign in life who receives the free gift that he does not deserve, of being made righteous. Again, as one man’s fall brought condemnation on everyone, so the good act of one man brings everyone life and makes them justified. As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

 

Gospel Acclamation – Matthew 4:4

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

 

The Gospel According to Matthew – 4:1 - 11 ©

The Temptation in the Wilderness

Jesus was led by the Spirit out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, after which he was very hungry, and the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to turn into loaves.’ But he replied, ‘Scripture says:

 

Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

 

The devil then took him to the holy city and made him stand on the parapet of the Temple. ‘If you are the Son of God’ he said ‘throw yourself down; for scripture says:

 

He will put you in his angels’ charge, and they will support you on their hands in case you hurt your foot against a stone.’

 

Jesus said to him, ‘Scripture also says:

 

You must not put the Lord your God to the test.’

 

Next, taking him to a very high mountain, the devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. ‘I will give you all these’ he said, ‘if you fall at my feet and worship me.’ Then Jesus replied, ‘Be off, Satan! For scripture says:

 

You must worship the Lord your God, and serve him alone.’

 

Then the devil left him, and angels appeared and looked after him.

 

First Sunday of Lent (Year A)

A Homily - Ash Wednesday (Year A), A Holy Day of Obligation

A Homily - Ash Wednesday (Year A), A Holy Day of Obligation

 

 First Reading – Joel 2:12-18 ©

Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 50(51):3-6, 12-14, 17

Second Reading – 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2 ©

Gospel Acclamation Psalm 50:12, 14

Alternative Acclamation Psalm 94:8

The Gospel According to Matthew 6:1 – 6, 16 - 18

 

(NJB)

  

Listen!

 The anointed one is not a king, Jesus was not a lord; even though the Romans crowned him with thorns, to them it was a sick joke, they mocked him when they called him king of the Jews.

 Jesus was a man of the land, one of the am haaretz, his anointing came through death and through it he showed us the way of compassion.

 Remember.

 It is right and good to pray for the people. It is even better when you do so leave the temple, leave the church, go out into the world to be with those who are suffering, knowing that God, the creator of the universe, that God will not intervene in our suffering apart from our agency. God has equipped us all to be able to deal with extraordinary grief and hardship and to lift those among us who have been struck down.

 When you speak to the people as a Christian, and much more so if you are speaking as a minister of the Church, speak to them with a spirit of modesty and humility; go to them as a servant.

 Celebrate, rejoice and be grateful; share the good news: that God is with you, that God is good, loving and merciful, knowing that God makes no intercessions for those living in the world.

 Be mindful.

 With God there is never justice without mercy, there is no judgement without love.

 Know that when we seek forgiveness from the divine, we are looking for something that has already found us, which is not to say that we should not seek it.

 When we come to the knowledge of our trespasses and we are contrite, that contrition is the shower that washes us, this is the baptism of repentance, symbolized by the water, the reality of which is a fait accompli.

 Listen!

 We are all sinners, we are animals, there is little difference between the human being and the wolf or the lion, except that God speaks to us from our innermost being, God is present at our core of personhood; in this way God gives us the power to overcome our animal nature, a nature that is bloody and raw; God gives us the grace to live a holy life; and the wisdom to pursue it in good conscience.

 There is no crime that God has not forgiven…rejoice.

 Do not look for God’s hand in the tribulations we suffer, or the rewards we enjoy during the time we are on the earth; they are like the wind, fleeting and ephemeral, temporary and accidental.

 Consider the teaching of the apostle: our salvation is the work of God; God has done the work, beginning as Saint John said, in the first moment of creation, with the light in the darkness, all things come to being in the Word

 Know this!

 The fall, such as it is, happens subsequent to and in the context of God’s saving work.Jesus revealed the truth of it, and entrusted we who follow the way with the task of sharing it.

 This is the gospel: You are reconciled to God. There is no debt to pay. Allow the burden of sin, and the fear of it to fall away from.

 Be glad.

 It was always God’s plan that we fall and rise together, that we rise and fall as one, because we are one in the goodness of God. The apostle tells us, in the simplest terms that the mission of the church is to announce the reconciliation.

 Hear this!

 Everyone is reconciled in God’s love; there are no exceptions. The members of the church are meant to serve as ambassadors of this good news. The church is not, nor should it ever be structured like a recruiting agency, as it is today, obsessed with signing up members, for whom the reward is the reconciliation with the divine that has already been achieved..

 The mission of the church is to proclaim it, to proclaim that every day is a day of salvation.

 All creation belongs to God, all that is good and all that frightens us, everything comes from God and will everything will redound to the good.

 This is the essence of the faith.

 Therefore be mindful!

 You will have no reward from God in this life, God does not intervene or interfere in human events. Do not seek glory or to glorify yourself in public. Do not seek admiration from the world at large. Do as Jesus said: pray in private, not in public, do not boast of your piety. Do not brag on how much you give to the world, or how well you pay your employees, do good for the sake of doing good, be fair for fairness’ sake.

 Go to your work and to your disciplines gladly, if you are fasting then fast, smile and be happy.

 This is the way to proceed, not just for the season of Lent, but for all of your days.

  

First Reading – Joel 2:12-18 ©

Let Your Hearts Be Broken, Not Your Garments Torn

‘Now, now – it is the Lord who speaks – come back to me with all your heart, fasting, weeping, mourning.’

Let your hearts be broken, not your garments torn, turn to the Lord your God again, for he is all tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in graciousness, and ready to relent.

Who knows if he will not turn again, will not relent, will not leave a blessing as he passes, oblation and libation for the Lord your God?

Sound the trumpet in Zion!

Order a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly, call the people together, summon the community, assemble the elders, gather the children, even the infants at the breast.

Let the bridegroom leave his bedroom and the bride her alcove.

Between vestibule and altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, lament.

Let them say, ‘Spare your people, Lord!

Do not make your heritage a thing of shame, a byword for the nations.

Why should it be said among the nations, “Where is their God?”’

Then the Lord, jealous on behalf of his land, took pity on his people.

 

Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 50(51):3-6, 12-14, 17

Our God comes and will not be silent!

Devouring fire precedes him,

it rages strongly around him.

He calls to the heavens above

and to the earth to judge his people:

“Gather my loyal ones to me,

those who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”

The heavens proclaim his righteousness,

for God himself is the judge.

Were I hungry, I would not tell you,

for mine is the world and all that fills it.

Do I eat the flesh of bulls

or drink the blood of he-goats?

Offer praise as your sacrifice to God;

fulfill your vows to the Most High.

You hate discipline;

you cast my words behind you!

 

Second Reading – 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2 ©

Be Reconciled to God

We are ambassadors for Christ; it is as though God were appealing through us, and the appeal that we make in Christ’s name is: be reconciled to God. For our sake God made the sinless one into sin, so that in him we might become the goodness of God. As his fellow workers, we beg you once again not to neglect the grace of God that you have received. For he says: At the favourable time, I have listened to you; on the day of salvation I came to your help. Well, now is the favourable time; this is the day of salvation.

 

Gospel Acclamation Psalm 50:12, 14

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

A pure heart create for me, O God, and give me again the joy of your help.

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

 

Alternative Acclamation Psalm 94:8

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

Harden not your hearts today, but listen to the voice of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

 

The Gospel According to Matthew 6:1 – 6, 16 - 18

Your Father Who Sees All that is Done in Secret Will Reward You

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Be careful not to parade your good deeds before men to attract their notice; by doing this you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win men’s admiration. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

‘And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them; I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you pray, go to your private room and, when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

‘When you fast do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they pull long faces to let men know they are fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.’

 

Ash Wednesday (Year A), A Holy Day of Obligation

A Homily – The Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year A)

A Homily – The Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year A)

 

First Reading – Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18 ©

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 102(103):1-4, 8, 10, 12-13 ©

Second Reading – 1 Corinthians 3:16-23 ©

Gospel Acclamation – John 14:23

Alternative Acclamation – 1 John 2:5

The Gospel According to Matthew – 5:38 - 48 ©

 

(NJB)

 

 Listen!

 Hear the word of God and know this, there is no justice without mercy.

 Give thanks to God, the creator of the universe, be thankful for God’s blessings: the blessing of life, of freedom, of self-determination and every other aspect of our persons.

Give thanks to those the loving, to the peacemakers; bless them as you are able. Bless all of God’s children, bless them as God does, love everyone: the good and the bad, the helpful and the harmful, the just and the unjust.

Remember this!

God is not a king, God is not a Lord. God does not favor one group over another. God does not intervene in the affairs of human beings…and God has made everyone free.

Remember that the living God dwells within the living you, and within the living God everyone comes to be: all beings, at all times, in all places have there being in God.

God dwells in you, and I, in your adversary (whoever that might be); God is present in everyone and where God is present, God is present fully.

Be mindful!

Wisdom is wisdom, and folly is folly, and you are not special except insofar as you are loved.

You are loved no-more, and no-less than any other; you are no-more and no-less wise; you are no-more and no-less a fool.

We are all journeying along the way, and the way of our journey leads to God, the beginning and the end of all things and beings.

Be Mindful!

The grace of God is not transactional. Love fosters love, and there is always love for the divine is always with you. God dwells in all people, regardless of their character or the quality of their life judged by whatever standard you might care to devise.

Some people bear are able to bear witness to the way, to exemplify it through their actions…emulate them. Others confronted us with the need to be merciful, to demonstrate through our own actions the same spirit of mercy and forgiveness Jesus called us to. Some express the love of God, while others call for a loving response. listen to them, learn from them, try to understand them—each as they are.

Consider the Gospel for today:

The traditions holds that the old law was a vehicle for retribution; in it there was little consideration for mercy. Under the old law it was thought that whether you do good deeds or bad deeds you are paid in equal measure.

Most religious systems adhere to a view of justice based on this concept. The laws of Karma articulated in what we refer to as Hinduism are the most succinctly articulated and concisely conceptualized version of this system.

Every religious tradition that directs its adherents believers to some kind of afterlife, utilizes some variant of a mythology that shows the individual being weighed or measured on the scales of justice before receiving their eternal reward, or punishment, as the case might be.

In the aforementioned Hindu system of beliefs, the individual remains on the wheel of life until the karmic scales are balanced, at which point they are released.

The Jains, the Sikhs and the Baha’i, all imagine something very much the same, imagining that the soul enters the world in a state of purity and light, but life in the flesh, which entangles the soul in the dirty business of existence…soils them.

Life makes a person unclean., and upon coming to this realization the task is then to move toward the light, avoiding all things that contaminate the soul, until at the end they are once again burning pure and bright.

Allow me to reprise: the old law was a law of retribution, it was only one stage better than the law of terror which read: Not an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but a head for an eye and a tribe for a head.

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is somewhat better in its approximation to true justice, but it is not best!

Jesus instructed us in the divine law, and the divine law is reflected in the way of mercy; teaching us that to sacrifice (to make something holy) is to forgive, and this is the path to holiness.

 When it came to the exhibition of mercy, Jesus taught us to go beyond what is ordinary, to surpass all conventions, to act out of love and to walk with humility, even with those you would otherwise shun or fear.

 This is the way and there is no other.

 Both Jesus and the Buddha believed that a person could balance the scales in a moment; that we are not in bondage to our past, to our history, to our station, or to our ancestors.

 We are good when we are doing good, we burn brightly when we are on fire with compassion.

 It is as simple as that.

  

First Reading – Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18 ©

You Must Love Your Neighbour as Yourself

The Lord spoke to Moses; he said: ‘Speak to the whole community of the sons of Israel and say to them:

‘“Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.

‘“You must not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. You must openly tell him, your neighbour, of his offence; this way you will not take a sin upon yourself. You must not exact vengeance, nor must you bear a grudge against the children of your people. You must love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.”’

 

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 102(103):1-4, 8, 10, 12-13 ©

The Lord is compassion and love.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord

  all my being, bless his holy name.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord

  and never forget all his blessings.

The Lord is compassion and love.

It is he who forgives all your guilt,

  who heals every one of your ills,

who redeems your life from the grave,

  who crowns you with love and compassion.

The Lord is compassion and love.

The Lord is compassion and love,

  slow to anger and rich in mercy.

He does not treat us according to our sins

  nor repay us according to our faults.

The Lord is compassion and love.

As far as the east is from the west

  so far does he remove our sins.

As a father has compassion on his sons,

  the Lord has pity on those who fear him.

The Lord is compassion and love.

 

Second Reading – 1 Corinthians 3:16-23 ©

You Belong to Christ and Christ Belongs to God

Didn’t you realise that you were God’s temple and that the Spirit of God was living among you? If anybody should destroy the temple of God, God will destroy him, because the temple of God is sacred; and you are that temple.

Make no mistake about it: if any one of you thinks of himself as wise, in the ordinary sense of the word, then he must learn to be a fool before he really can be wise. Why? Because the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As scripture says: The Lord knows wise men’s thoughts: he knows how useless they are; or again: God is not convinced by the arguments of the wise. So there is nothing to boast about in anything human: Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life and death, the present and the future, are all your servants; but you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God.

 

Gospel Acclamation – John 14:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

If anyone loves me he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him.

Alleluia!

 

Alternative Acclamation – 1 John 2:5

Alleluia, alleluia!

Whenever anyone obeys what Christ has said, God’s love comes to perfection in him.

Alleluia!

 

The Gospel According to Matthew – 5:38 - 48 ©

Love Your Enemies

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have learnt how it was said: Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I say this to you: offer the wicked man no resistance. On the contrary, if anyone hits you on the right cheek, offer him the other as well; if a man takes you to law and would have your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone orders you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give to anyone who asks, and if anyone wants to borrow, do not turn away.

‘You have learnt how it was said: You must love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike. For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’

 

The Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year A)