Fr. Michael Vinoth sx
First Reading Ecclesiasticus 15: 16-21. Second Reading 1corinthians 2: 6-10 and Gospel Reading: Matthew 5: 17- 37.
It is really amazing and wonderful to come and praise the Lord our God on this 6th Sunday of ordinary time. The theme of the readings of this Sunday is challenging you and me. It is urging us to choose freely and wisely to keep the law of the God. God has set before us life and death, good and evil. It is up to each of us to choose. But What is the law of God? How do we know the law of God?
I remember one incident that took place when I was in Tanzania. The people of Tanzania are very kind when they realise that you are a priest, and this happens not only in Tanzania but all over Africa. It so happened I was on a journey from Dar-es-salaam to Songea: a distance of 956 kilometres. To cover that distance, it would take between 14 to 15 hours. there is a traffic law in Tanzania that inside the towns or villages you can drive your car at maximum 50 Km speed. But I used to drive the car a little faster, and so I would have to pay the fine if caught by the police. But in Some places when I told them that I was a catholic priest, they would let me go without paying any fine. Once it happened that there was a priest travelling with me, and he challenged me by quoting the third commandment “YOU SHALL NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD YOUR GOD IN VAIN. He told me that I was making a mistake, a sin, because I was appealing to the title given me by the benevolence of God Almighty. It was not through my merits that I acquired that status but through God's grace. So, I should not find a cover-up when I break the law. That was really a moment of eye opening for me and from that moment I never broke the law again, or if I did then I would pay the fine. We all find excuses when we break the law, especially the law of the government. We are overwhelmed when we are praised. We want others to call us by the titles or graduations we have achieved: Like, Dr Conteh Ba, MA, MPhil, PhD.: all these titles and honours did not make us a wise person. Let us allow God’s word of truth to touch our minds and hearts and to form a good conscience, making us men and women of integrity.
In the first reading today, we are called to choose freely and wisely in order to observe the laws. the first reading is from Ben Sirach: it contains the clearest statement concerning God given freedom to men. The reading says that “if you wish, you can keep the commandments… before you are life and death: whichever you choose shall be given you.” In the second Reading St. Paul challenges the Christians of Corinth to appreciate the wisdom of God’s saving plan. It is not some philosophy he is teaching but the saving plan of God Himself.
1. We need to obey God’s law, appreciating its basic principles:
Many of us are aware neither of the law of God nor of the law of the country. God gave the world to till it and to develop it. We need to find our food and life from this world without killing its resources. We are very busy seeking money through cutting trees but we do not care planting trees. Now the climate itself has changed and time will come when we shall cry because of the mistakes we are making today. Let’s appreciate the basic principles and laws of the Creator, by doing so we choose life.
2. We need to forgive, forget and move towards reconciliation as soon as possible.
Every time when we pray the Lord’s prayer, we ask God to forgive our sins and we also pledge to forgive the sins of others. If that were true, then why is there so much hatred and so many wars in the world? Why are there so many divorces in the world? If there is no forgiveness and reconciliation in family life, then we are living against the laws and norms of the Lord. Through love we reconcile families, towns and the world at large, but through hatred we spread enmity all over. Let us choose life rather than death.
3. We need to be true to God, to ourselves and to others.
As William Shakespeare said: we are all actors on this earth and we perform a role. We act before others in one way and before ourselves in different way. Even before God we act in different ways. We need to be true to at least two persons: to God and to Myself. Even though God knows all our actions even before they spring in our mind or heart, it is the duty of every individual to be faithful to God and to neighbour.
First Reading Ecclesiasticus 15: 16-21. Second Reading 1corinthians 2: 6-10 and Gospel Reading: Matthew 5: 17- 37.
It is really amazing and wonderful to come and praise the Lord our God on this 6th Sunday of ordinary time. The theme of the readings of this Sunday is challenging you and me. It is urging us to choose freely and wisely to keep the law of the God. God has set before us life and death, good and evil. It is up to each of us to choose. But What is the law of God? How do we know the law of God?
I remember one incident that took place when I was in Tanzania. The people of Tanzania are very kind when they realise that you are a priest, and this happens not only in Tanzania but all over Africa. It so happened I was on a journey from Dar-es-salaam to Songea: a distance of 956 kilometres. To cover that distance, it would take between 14 to 15 hours. there is a traffic law in Tanzania that inside the towns or villages you can drive your car at maximum 50 Km speed. But I used to drive the car a little faster, and so I would have to pay the fine if caught by the police. But in Some places when I told them that I was a catholic priest, they would let me go without paying any fine. Once it happened that there was a priest travelling with me, and he challenged me by quoting the third commandment “YOU SHALL NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD YOUR GOD IN VAIN. He told me that I was making a mistake, a sin, because I was appealing to the title given me by the benevolence of God Almighty. It was not through my merits that I acquired that status but through God's grace. So, I should not find a cover-up when I break the law. That was really a moment of eye opening for me and from that moment I never broke the law again, or if I did then I would pay the fine. We all find excuses when we break the law, especially the law of the government. We are overwhelmed when we are praised. We want others to call us by the titles or graduations we have achieved: Like, Dr Conteh Ba, MA, MPhil, PhD.: all these titles and honours did not make us a wise person. Let us allow God’s word of truth to touch our minds and hearts and to form a good conscience, making us men and women of integrity.
In the first reading today, we are called to choose freely and wisely in order to observe the laws. the first reading is from Ben Sirach: it contains the clearest statement concerning God given freedom to men. The reading says that “if you wish, you can keep the commandments… before you are life and death: whichever you choose shall be given you.” In the second Reading St. Paul challenges the Christians of Corinth to appreciate the wisdom of God’s saving plan. It is not some philosophy he is teaching but the saving plan of God Himself.
1. We need to obey God’s law, appreciating its basic principles:
Many of us are aware neither of the law of God nor of the law of the country. God gave the world to till it and to develop it. We need to find our food and life from this world without killing its resources. We are very busy seeking money through cutting trees but we do not care planting trees. Now the climate itself has changed and time will come when we shall cry because of the mistakes we are making today. Let’s appreciate the basic principles and laws of the Creator, by doing so we choose life.
2. We need to forgive, forget and move towards reconciliation as soon as possible.
Every time when we pray the Lord’s prayer, we ask God to forgive our sins and we also pledge to forgive the sins of others. If that were true, then why is there so much hatred and so many wars in the world? Why are there so many divorces in the world? If there is no forgiveness and reconciliation in family life, then we are living against the laws and norms of the Lord. Through love we reconcile families, towns and the world at large, but through hatred we spread enmity all over. Let us choose life rather than death.
3. We need to be true to God, to ourselves and to others.
As William Shakespeare said: we are all actors on this earth and we perform a role. We act before others in one way and before ourselves in different way. Even before God we act in different ways. We need to be true to at least two persons: to God and to Myself. Even though God knows all our actions even before they spring in our mind or heart, it is the duty of every individual to be faithful to God and to neighbour.