If You Choose: Reflections on the Readings for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

If you haven’t already read the readings you can find them here.

Sirach 15:15-20
Psalm 119
1 Corinthians 2:6-10
Matthew 5:17-37

This is the last Sunday before Lent which begins this week with Ash Wednesday. How appropriate that we hear in the readings that we have a choice in life and it’s up to us to make the right choices. Even within the gospel reading, again from the Sermon on the Mount, we can detect that Jesus is telling us to make the right choice. God will not go against our free will, which is part of our being “in the image and likeness of God.” Therefore, what we do with our lives, how we approach our daily existence comes down to a choice. Even when tempted by the devil (or our own brokenness) it comes down to free will. “The devil can tempt you to do something wrong, but ultimately you choose.” (Fr. William Casey, You Shall Stand Firm)

For some reason Martin Luther kept the Book of Sirach out of his bible. And yet it reiterates many lessons and much wisdom also found in the rest of the Old Testament. Today’s reading is a perfect example. It restates words and advice found in Deuteronomy (as well as Jesus’ teaching) reminding man that his life is a choice, and that choice is between good and evil which equates to choosing between life and death.

“I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, obeying his voice, and holding fast to him.” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20, see also 11:26, 30:15)

The lessons on humility in Sirach are also found throughout the Old and New Testament as we have heard in recent weeks.

Sirach explains, “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.” Sirach is reminding us that God sees all, and what is more, as is said elsewhere, He sees into our hearts. There is no hiding our misdeeds from Him. And finally, this passage closes with, “No one does he command to act unjustly, to none does he give license to sin.” As the letter of St. James tells us, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22)

Thus, the responsorial psalm picks up with the importance of following God’s law. “Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!” That’s the choice we need to make, to follow the Commandments and Christ’s teaching. To do that we must know the Church’s teaching and have the discernment (e.g., the proper formation of conscience) to make the right choices. The psalmist knows and asks, “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.” While we are all broken and sinners, we must make the choice to try as best we can to follow the Lord.

We pick up again from St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians the need to be wise in our ways and not to be worldly; not following the “wisdom of this age.” A lesson as true today as ever. Elsewhere Paul gives us the same advice, “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

Pope Leo XIV, in a recent letter to priests in Spain, noted that they (and we as well) are called to be in the world but not of the world. He also exhorted them to be examples of the “living Tradition of the Church, and guarded by the Magisterium.” The wisdom of the Magisterium, which has been going on for 2000 years can be found in Sacred Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC).

Our reward for following the Lord is greater than we can imagine, as Paul tells us, “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 ...”

Jesus continues His teaching after having given His followers (and us) the Beatitudes (4th Sunday in Ordinary Time). The Beatitudes reflect a choice as well for by choosing to be “poor in spirit,” meek, merciful and pure of heart, etc., we will reap the benefits. Today’s reading puts some of those choices before us. Jesus emphasizes some of these by exaggerating, “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.”

In the beginning of this segment He explains that this is not really new teaching but a deeper look at the law, a fulfillment of it and a deeper explanation of the heart of the law. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” If your parish opts for the “shorter version,” this lesson might be missed. Another example of the need to read the entire readings (and a little before and after each selection) on your own, so you can get the full meaning and context of what Scripture is saying.

Jesus criticizes the Scribes and Pharisees (as a group, although individuals, like Nicodemus, actually listened to Him) regularly for not being doers of the word. Thus He sets what might seem to be a low bar, “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

He then exhorts us on the importance of personal integrity, “... do not swear at all, ... Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.' Anything more is from the evil one.” This again reflects the choices we make. Either we mean what we say and follow through, or we are going against God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us, “Freedom characterizes properly human acts. It makes the human being responsible for acts of which he is the voluntary agent. His deliberate acts properly belong to him.” (CCC 1745)

Again from the wisdom books, Ecclesiastes. 12:13-14 “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” (emphasis added)

 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command?” (Luke 6:46)

“For he will render to every man according to his works.” (Rom 2:6)