Cycle A - Year I:  

12 February 2023: Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Color: Green)

Readings:

First Reading:        Sirach 15:15-20

Second Reading:   1 Corinthians 2:6-10

Gospel:  Please Read  Matthew 5:17-37 

The Spirit of God's Law is Love!

In our Gospel lesson this Sunday, Jesus teaches about the essence and purpose of God's Laws and Commandments. He reminds us that to be His followers requires more than the external observance of God's Laws but must include our inner conviction foremost.

Recall that in Jesus' time, the Scribes and Pharisees prided themselves on their meticulous observance of the Law handed down from the Old Testament in order to be righteous before God. But there is something questionable in their observance of God's Law that focuses only on external rituals. So Jesus challenges His followers that their righteousness must exceed that of the Scribes and the Pharisees.

What exactly is "righteousness"?  Simply put, it means one must be in right relationship with God.  To be "righteous" Jesus challenges His followers to get radical, meaning to go to the roots of our thoughts, words and deeds by asking ourselves "Is this thought, word or act pleasing to the God and worthy of His blessing?"  

We must carefully interpret the inspiration of the Law that God breathed into the Old Testament and not include that which man has created in the form of ritual and practices that are outside of the Spirit of God's Law.

To explain Himself further, our Lord Jesus uses the Ten Commandments to preach how to go beyond the surface-level spirituality and deeper into inner conviction. Let us reflect on the following as examples:

The Sixth Commandment: "You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment."   The Law is not simply to avoid murder but also not to harbor ill feelings and not to speak evil against our neighbor. Because angry and insulting words violate a person's dignity.

On the Seventh Commandment: "You shall not commit adultery."   Jesus says that even to look at a woman with lust has already committed adultery. Because lustful thoughts against a woman violate the virtue of chastity as much as the act of adultery itself.

On the Ninth Commandment, not to take a false oath against neighbor. Jesus says that it is better to be truthful in everything  we say so that there is no need for any oath to back up our claims.

Clearly, our Lord Jesus emphasizes that holiness involves, not just avoiding certain acts, such as murder or adultery, but also involves the thoughts and feelings that lie behind those actions.  If we will bring our thoughts and feelings under control, we need not worry about murdering someone, or committing adultery.

To summarize our reflection, the central message of the Gospel message is that the essence of God's Law is LOVE. For God's original intention from the beginning of creation is a loving relationship with Him, with our fellow human beings, and with the rest of creation which includes proper and responsible use of the environment and our world. So the observance of God's Law must spring from love of God. That is why our Lord Jesus demands not only external avoidance of evil and anything that offends God, but to take away as well any and all interior preconditions that lead us to commit sin. For sin is really a disconnect from loving God.

As Christians, we learn and teach by examples to respect, forgive, have compassion, mercy, peace and project the spiritual ways of love if we are to find and help others in the journey towards Heaven.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!