Month: February 2020

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Mass Readings

First Reading: Sirach 15:15-20
Responsorial: Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:6-10
Gospel: Matthew 5:17-37

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/021620.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

G.K. Chesterton said, “There are an infinite number of ways to fall, but there is only one way to stand.”

Brothers and sisters in today’s readings, we talk about the law. In our first reading today from Sirach, we hear that we should choose and keep the commandments because they will save us. And indeed, today in the Church, we look at the commandments, as part of that core of what it means to be believers in the one true God. The commandments are not negotiable.

But we need to exercise caution. We need to avoid the trap of becoming robots or slaves to the law. The law does not represent a checklist. It’s so much more than that.

Building on our second reading from last week, St. Paul tells us that God’s law – that Scripture is a source of Wisdom that can transform our lives. Last week Paul says he came to the Corinthians trembling, but in the very next chapter Paul begins to show us that the scandalous cross can produce much fruit. Wisdom is a powerful fruit that can guide the way we live and work today, but we can’t learn that from the world. “Eye has not seen, and ear has not heard…what God has prepared for those who love him,” (1 Cor 2:9).

Scripture and Tradition, then, are sources of Wisdom that can transform our lives. Why do I say transform? Discipleship is not about checklists or keeping score. No! Authentic discipleship requires conversion of heart and mind. That’s what Jesus is talking about in today’s Gospel. He doesn’t just rattle off a list of commandments. He kicks it up a notch and frankly makes life a little uncomfortable for a lot of us.

Discipleship is not about following the letter of the law externally for all the world to see. Discipleship is about being transformed by the law and living the law internally. He gives examples of what he means. “Thou shall not kill,” isn’t just about murder. If we gossip – if through the things we say we harm someone’s reputation, then it’s as if we murdered them. You shouldn’t commit adultery, but if you lust after someone else, then for all practical purposes, you have committed adultery.

We cannot reduce the law to a series of traffic signs or to a series of intellectual concepts. Living the law comes from the heart. We internalize the law. We are transformed by the law. That is how we acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

To internalize the law means that we need to examine our lives to identify the root causes of sin in our lives. That’s the great challenge before us. It’s not about gossiping or adultery or oath-taking as much as it trying to understand what it is that is causing us to gossip, or lust after others or desire to take oaths in secret societies, and then trying to eliminate those sources of sinfulness from our lives.

Now, this is very important for us to consider. We might not be capable of accomplishing these tasks on our own. For whatever reasons, it might be difficult to identify root causes of sin in our lives and/or eliminate them from our lives. What are we to do? We need to acknowledge that we might need a little help. This isn’t an excuse for our spouses or significant others to sit us down and tell us what we’re doing wrong.

All kidding aside, I think that the first thing we should do is turn to the Holy Spirit. We need to pray that the Spirit help us and guide us to take our blinders off or our rose-colored glasses through we see our lives off so that we can see who we really are – the good, the bad and the ugly.

I do think we could turn to our spouses or significant others and out of a spirit of love compassion have this sort of conversation. We need to be sensitive because we know how to push each other’s buttons easily, so we do this with kid gloves.

We can bring this to spiritual direction before we go to confession. We can schedule some time with a priest, deacon, consecrated religious brother or sister or a specially trained lay person. They will have the training to help us listen attentively to the Holy Spirit as we go through this process.

We can also turn to professional help like authentically Christian psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists (social workers, LPCs, etc.). Why authentically Christian? Well, there’s a wide variety of therapists and counselors out there. I would encourage you to pick someone whose values and faith are aligned with your own.

Now before you roll your eyes at these suggestions, there are two points I want to make. This world we live in tries to convince us that we are alone – that we have to figure everything out by ourselves. But our faith tells us we are not alone. We are part of a community of believers, so we can and should turn to the community for help and the community includes our spouses, friends, spiritual directors, counselors, etc.

The second point I want to make is that so often the very people we admire, like successful business people, movie stars, athletes and the like, seldom achieve their goals without help. Very often they have a coach or a variety of coaches to help them stay focused. If the people we admire have coaches, how can any of us feel shame in seeking out a coach to help us?

Through the work of the Holy Spirit and with the help of our coaches, we can be able to identify root causes of sin in our lives, bring our sin to confession, to be healed and reconciled. I know that sounds like a lot, but believe it or not, there is a process to internalizing God’s law. The question is, are you willing to walk the walk?

Daniel Burke in his book, Journey to God, has a great spiritual self-evaluation form that is an excellent place to begin. Unfortunately, the form is only available in his book in the chapter, “My Root Sin.” I’ll include a link in the notes. Full disclosure – I do not currently receive any compensation for referrals. I just think it’s a good resource. https://www.amazon.com/Journey-God-Dan-Burke/dp/193750980X/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=journey+to+god&qid=1580742685&sr=8-2

Ok, now that that’s out of the way, it’s time for homework! Nourished by the Word of God and by the Eucharist, I would like you to reflect on the following two questions.

1. What behaviors in my life prevent me from fully internalizing God’s law?
2. How would I describe the causes of sin in my life to someone else?

I think doing our homework will help us kick our discipleship up a notch. Do you got it? Do you get it? Then go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

References:

1. Lectio Divina Of The Gospels. Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2019.
2. Mitch, Curtis and Edward Sri. The Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2010.
3. Montague, George T. SM. First Corinthians. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2011.

Catechism References: Easily search the Catechism at http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm

1. Jesus fulfilling the Law, 577, 581, 1967-68, 2053-54
2. Anger, 2302
3. Sacrament of confession, 1424, 1456
4. Forgiveness, 2608, 2841, 2845
5. Divorce and adultery, 443, 2336, 2380
6. Oaths, 2153
7. Love of enemies, 2302, 2844

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 76
Mass Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/021620.cfm
First Reading Sirach 15:15-20
If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you;
if you trust in God, you too shall live;
he has set before you fire and water
to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand.
Before man are life and death, good and evil,
whichever he chooses shall be given him.
Immense is the wisdom of the Lord;
he is mighty in power, and all-seeing.
The eyes of God are on those who fear him;
he understands man’s every deed.
No one does he command to act unjustly,
to none does he give license to sin.

Responsorial
Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34
R. (1b) Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
You have commanded that your precepts
be diligently kept.
Oh, that I might be firm in the ways
of keeping your statutes!
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Be good to your servant, that I may live
and keep your words.
Open my eyes, that I may consider
the wonders of your law.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Instruct me, O LORD, in the way of your statutes,
that I may exactly observe them.
Give me discernment, that I may observe your law
and keep it with all my heart.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

Second Reading
1 COR 2:6-10
Brothers and sisters:
We speak a wisdom to those who are mature,
not a wisdom of this age,
nor of the rulers of this age who are passing away.
Rather, we speak God’s wisdom, mysterious, hidden,
which God predetermined before the ages for our glory,
and which none of the rulers of this age knew;
for, if they had known it,
they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
But as it is written:
What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard,
and what has not entered the human heart,
what God has prepared for those who love him,
this God has revealed to us through the Spirit.

For the Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.

Alleluia
Matthew 11:25
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Matthew 5:17-37 OR 5:20-22A, 27-28, 33-34A, 37
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses
that of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you,
whoever is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment;
and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’
will be answerable to the Sanhedrin;
and whoever says, ‘You fool,’
will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,
and there recall that your brother
has anything against you,
leave your gift there at the altar,
go first and be reconciled with your brother,
and then come and offer your gift.
Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court.
Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge,
and the judge will hand you over to the guard,
and you will be thrown into prison.
Amen, I say to you,
you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.

“You have heard that it was said,
You shall not commit adultery.
But I say to you,
everyone who looks at a woman with lust
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you to sin,
tear it out and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.
And if your right hand causes you to sin,
cut it off and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.

“It was also said,
Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.
But I say to you,
whoever divorces his wife – unless the marriage is unlawful –
causes her to commit adultery,
and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

“Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
Do not take a false oath,
but make good to the Lord all that you vow.
But I say to you, do not swear at all;
not by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
nor by the earth, for it is his footstool;
nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Do not swear by your head,
for you cannot make a single hair white or black.
Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’
Anything more is from the evil one.”

or

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses
that of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you,
whoever is angry with brother
will be liable to judgment.

“You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery.
But I say to you,
everyone who looks at a woman with lust
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

“Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
Do not take a false oath,
but make good to the Lord all that you vow.
But I say to you, do not swear at all.
Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’
Anything more is from the evil one.”