{"id":3144,"date":"2020-02-16T12:02:35","date_gmt":"2020-02-16T17:02:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=3144"},"modified":"2020-03-12T13:48:31","modified_gmt":"2020-03-12T17:48:31","slug":"6th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-a-homily-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/6th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-a-homily-3\/","title":{"rendered":"6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – Homily"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

6th<\/sup> Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A<\/a>
Sirach 15:15-20
Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34 (1b)
1 Corinthians 2:6-10
Matthew 5:17-37
February 16, 2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God had given\nthe Ten Commandments through Moses. \nMoses told them that if they followed the commandments they would\nlive.  If they did not, they would\nperish.  This is not simply God punishing\nthem for sin.  The commandments help us\nto live a good life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sirach gives\nsimilar advice.  He reminds the people\nthat they have a  choice three times in\ntoday\u2019s reading, starting with, \u201cIf you choose you<\/em><\/strong> can\nkeep the commandments, they will save you, if you trust in God, you too shall\nlive.<\/em>\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are free\nto choose whatever we want but we must remember there are always consequences\nto our choices.  If we make good choices,\nthe consequences are good (as we hear in our responsorial verse today, \u201cBlessed\nare they who follow the law of the Lord<\/em>.\u201d). \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can feel\nlike a burden to follow the Law.  If it\nwere easy, everyone would.  Even when we\ntry to be good, we might wish we didn\u2019t have to follow all the\nCommandments.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the\nLaw is good!<\/strong>  When properly understood, the Law is not a\nburden but a gift.  It is in this spirit\nthat Jesus says, \u201cI have come not to abolish the Law but to fulfill.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need the\nLord to instruct us in his ways so that we \u201cmay exactly observe them<\/em>.\u201d  We ask the Lord to give us \u201cdiscernment\u201d<\/em>\nto know how to apply the Law in our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is what\nJesus does in his teaching (we rely on the Holy Spirit to help us too).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today\u2019s\ngospel comes from Jesus\u2019 Sermon on the Mount. \nAs Jesus comes \u201cnot to abolish but to fulfill<\/em>,\u201d he teaches us\nwhat the Law means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus calls\nus to a higher observance of the Law when He says, \u201cI tell you, unless your\nrighteousness surpasses that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will not\nenter the kingdom of Heaven.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He is not<\/em><\/strong>\ntelling us that our goal should be to be better than the scribes and the\nPharisees.  Our goal is to do what is\nright in God\u2019s eyes.  Jesus is just\ntelling us that the example of many of the scribes and Pharisees is not good\nenough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be\nrighteous in God\u2019s eyes, we need to understand what is behind the Law.  Jesus says not even \u201cthe smallest part of\na letter will pass from the law.<\/em>\u201d  We\nneed to keep the whole of the Law but we can only do that when we understand\nit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus\ncontinues with the Commandment, \u201cYou shall not kill<\/em>.\u201d  Except for questions of abortion and\nphysician assisted suicide, there is common agreement that killing is\nwrong.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus takes\nit a step further when He tells us not even to be angry.  Ouch! \nThat is hard.  People do things\nthat make us angry.  It can seem natural\nto get angry.  At times it might even\nseem appropriate.  If somebody does\nsomething wrong, shouldn\u2019t we get angry? \nEven Jesus got angry with the money changers in the temple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The question\nis do we let the anger control us.  We\nneed to stand up for what Jesus teaches us but not to respond with\nviolence.  Instead, we are called to\nrespond with love and compassion to help others.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Otherwise,\nthe anger keeps us from feeling love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus goes on\nto the commandment, \u201cYou shall not commit adultery.<\/em>\u201d  Our faith teaches us that physical intimacy\nis something unique and special between a man and a woman who are married to\neach other.  It is to be an expression of\ntheir love and their total<\/em><\/strong> self-giving to one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus raises the bar when He takes the Commandment against adultery and says don\u2019t even look at another person with \u201clust<\/a>.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That might\nseem difficult.  Again, it might seem\nnatural to notice the beauty of another person. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus specifically uses the word \u201clust<\/a>\u201d.  The Modern Catholic Dictionary<\/em> defines \u201clust<\/a>\u201d as \u201can inordinate desire for or enjoyment of sexual pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lust<\/a> involves looking at the other person not as a person but as an object that might bring us physical pleasure.  As such, lust<\/a> is counter to love, especially the committed love intended for marriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what are\nwe to do?  How do we stop sinning?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus says, \u201cIf\nyour right eye causes<\/strong> you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.<\/em>\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That might seem very extreme (in fact it is).  We need to pay careful attention to Jesus\u2019 words.  He specifically says if it causes<\/em> <\/strong>us to sin.  Do our eyes ever cause<\/em><\/strong> us to sin?  No!  Our eyes might be involved in sins like lust<\/a> but the eyes do not cause the sin.  We can lust <\/a>for someone without seeing them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise,\nJesus says, \u201cif your right hand causes<\/strong> you to sin, cut if off\nand throw it away.<\/em>\u201d  Has your hand\never caused<\/em><\/strong> you to sin?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What we do\nneed to do is reflect on what causes us to sin. \nDo we have friends that cause us to sin? \nDo we need different friends?  We\nshould seek friends who share good values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do we go\nplaces that lead us to sin?  Can we stay\naway from those places?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here we might\nalso ask ourselves if we lead others to sin. \nFor instance, do we fail to dress modestly, instead dressing in ways\nthat leads others to sin?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We start Lent\nin ten days.  We are called to do\nsomething for Lent that is a sacrifice. \nBetween now and then, think about the sins you struggle with.  Is there something you could do for Lent to\nhelp change the sin?  Ask and Jesus will\nhelp you through the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year ASirach 15:15-20Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34 (1b)1 Corinthians 2:6-10Matthew 5:17-37February 16, 2020 God had given the Ten Commandments through Moses.  Moses told them that if they followed the commandments they would live.  If they did not, they would perish.  This is not simply God punishing them for sin.  The …<\/p>\n

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