{"id":2035,"date":"2017-02-12T12:24:16","date_gmt":"2017-02-12T17:24:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=2035"},"modified":"2017-02-12T12:24:16","modified_gmt":"2017-02-12T17:24:16","slug":"6th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-a-homily-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/6th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-a-homily-2\/","title":{"rendered":"6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – Homily"},"content":{"rendered":"

6th<\/sup> Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A<\/a>
\nSirach 15:15-20
\nPsalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34
\n1 Corinthians 2:6-10
\nMatthew 5:17-37
\nFebruary 12, 2017<\/p>\n

Sirach reminds the people \u201cIf you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you, if you trust in God, you too shall live.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

We live in a society where many people don\u2019t like rules.\u00a0 It\u2019s not just a matter of objecting to certain rules, we can all do that.\u00a0 These people to whom I refer don\u2019t want any rules.<\/p>\n

Sirach\u2019s words remind the people that God did not give the commandments for his own good or to be cruel.\u00a0 God gave the commandments to help us and that we might have eternal life.<\/p>\n

With commandments like thou shall not steal, we should realize that we need rules like this so we don\u2019t have to live in constant fear of our things being stolen.<\/p>\n

Likewise, commandments like not bearing false witness are necessary.\u00a0 We need to be able to trust others to live in community.<\/p>\n

Yet, many in Jesus\u2019 days, had made following the commandments a matter of \u201claw\u201d rather than being good disciples.\u00a0 As such, the Law became a burden to many.<\/p>\n

Paul was one of those who was strict in his interpretation and following of the commandments.\u00a0 However, from his conversion experience, he came to realize a new way of living, \u201clife in the spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n

It won\u2019t be hard to take what Paul says about \u201clife in the spirit\u201d rather than the Law to mean the Law of the Old Testament is abolished.\u00a0 There are people who live that way today.<\/p>\n

However, that is going too far.\u00a0 The Law is still good.\u00a0 We know this because Jesus himself says, \u201cDo not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.\u00a0 I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Jesus brings us a new understanding the Law.\u00a0 Everything the Law says has been and is still good but Jesus wants us to understand the purpose of the Law and its intent.<\/p>\n

We all have free will.\u00a0 We can choose between good and evil.\u00a0 The Law is meant to help us know what is good vs. evil.\u00a0 It is here that Jesus leads us to a deeper understanding of the commandments.<\/p>\n

For example, Jesus begins by referring to the commandment against killing.\u00a0 This is a basic rule in societies.\u00a0 Jesus takes it a step further when He says that we shouldn\u2019t even be angry.\u00a0 Anger can lead to killing.\u00a0 Yet, anger can seem so natural to us.\u00a0 What\u2019s wrong with getting upset when somebody does something wrong to us?<\/p>\n

It may seem natural to get angry but that doesn\u2019t make it right.\u00a0 When we hold onto the anger, we push out love and that means we push out God.\u00a0 We can\u2019t always stop angry thoughts from coming but we can work on controlling what we do with (how much we hold onto) the anger.<\/p>\n

Likewise, Jesus takes the commandment against adultery and says if we even look at another person with lust, we sin.\u00a0 Again, it might seem natural to have the thought but the problem is when we dwell on lustful thoughts, we are objectifying the person as an object of pleasure rather than as a person.<\/p>\n

Jesus then tells us, \u201cIf your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 This seems really radical.\u00a0 Before we actually do this, ask yourself, does your eye cause<\/em><\/strong> you to sin?\u00a0 If our sin is lust, our eye might be involved in the sin but it doesn\u2019t cause the sin.\u00a0 We can have lustful thoughts without ever seeing a person.\u00a0 The lust comes from within our desires.<\/p>\n

Again we can\u2019t stop a lustful thought from coming into our head but we can work to control what we do with the thought once we realize it is there.\u00a0 This can be difficult.\u00a0 Since coming to St. Michael\u2019s, when I face temptation and struggle to resist, I find myself praying for God\u2019s help against the temptation and ask for him to send St. Michael, who defeated the dragon, to my aid.<\/p>\n

Lastly, Jesus speaks about taking oaths.\u00a0 Why we do we ask people to take oaths?\u00a0 Because we do not know if we cannot trust them.\u00a0 It might be because they have lied to us in the past or because others have lied to us.\u00a0 If we all mean what we say, then we trust each other.\u00a0 \u201cLet your \u2018yes\u2019 mean \u2018yes\u2019 and your \u2018no\u2019 mean \u2018no.\u2019<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Getting back to the Law, following the Law is measured by our actions.\u00a0 Our actions can be reveal what is in our hearts.\u00a0 It is our hearts that God looks at.\u00a0 God knows the thoughts we have.\u00a0 So, let us pray that God instruct us in his ways and help us discern how we are to live loving Jesus with all our hearts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Sirach 15:15-20 Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 Matthew 5:17-37 February 12, 2017 Sirach reminds the people \u201cIf you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you, if you trust in God, you too shall live.\u201d We live in a society where many people …<\/p>\n

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