Sunday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Readings of the Day
RB: Ch 13:12-14
Mass: Sir 15:15-20; Resp Ps 119; 1 Cor 2:6-10; Mt 5:17-37

Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord.

MARY, SEAT OF WISDOM,

PRAY FOR US.

God gifted humanity with the ability to reason; to think, understand, to make choices between the good and evil. In the beginning, when God created us, we were made subject to our own free choice (Sir 15:14). We have before us then, as heard in the First Reading at Mass, life and death, good and evil, and whichever we choose shall be given to us (Sir 15:17). If we choose evil, we cannot say "It was God's doing that I fell away" (Sir 15:11) or "It was God who set me astray", for "God has no need for wicked people" (Sir 15:12). It is so easy though to fall into the trap of blaming others for our choices or behavior, for making excuses for behavior. A gem I heard recently was: "That may be an explanation, but it is not an excuse." Ah ''immense is the wisdom of the Lord; He is mighty in power and all seeing … God understands every one of our deeds. He does not command us to act unjustly, to none does He give license to sin" (Sir 15:18-20). Grant us the strength and wisdom, dear Lord, to let our "Yes" mean "Yes," and our "No" mean "No", for "anything more is from the evil one" (Mt 5:37). And yet, even with all this, the daily struggle with St Paul continues: "What I do I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate … The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not. For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want" (Rm 7:15, 18-19).

THE COMMAND OF THE LORD IS SOMETHING VERY NEAR TO YOU, ALREADY IN YOUR MOUTHS AND IN YOUR HEARTS; YOU HAVE ONLY TO CARRY IT OUT.

(Dt 30:14)

Jesus came into the world not only to fulfill the Law, but also to give us His Grace, so that we can do God's will, loving Him and our brothers and sisters. We can do everything, everything, with the grace of God. Actually, holiness is nothing other than guarding this gratuitousness that God has given us, this grace.

(Pope Francis, Angelus Address, February 16, 2020)

Today's photo: Trail at Bald Hill Natural Area, near Corvallis, Oregon. Thanks CO!

© Gertrude Feick 2020