Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time / Msgr. Owen F. Campion
The Sunday Readings
The Book of Sirach, the source of the first reading for Mass this weekend, is part of a collection of biblical writings that in their origin teach an important lesson.
As various political, economic and individual fortunes changed, collapsed and reversed among God’s people in the decades after the Babylonian Captivity, and as new alien empires seized the Holy Land, Jews emigrated from the homeland of their ancestors to other places.
Understandably, many went to places where opportunities were more plentiful.
While certainly some of these emigrants not only survived, but possibly did well in their new surroundings, one thing was lacking. They were not living in a society in which all acknowledged the God of Israel. In fact, their adopted culture well could be hostile to the ancient Hebrew tradition.
So, to record their ancient religious beliefs, and very importantly to pass these beliefs along to oncoming generations, Jewish scholars composed books such as Sirach.
The essential point in Sirach was that human reason and honoring God are ideas that are in harmony with each other. Obeying God, logic can prove, is the way to order, peace, justice and reward in human life.
St. Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians is the source of the second reading. Paul, who would have been no stranger to this notion of a compatibility between divine revelation and human wisdom, as he was so well trained in Judaism and also exposed to Greek philosophy, added a new dimension to the story. Revelation is of a reality that is often beyond the capacity of human knowledge to comprehend completely.
He refers to a wisdom that is “hidden” and “mysterious” (1 Cor 2:7). We as humans simply cannot understand all. In his great love, God chose to reveal to us what otherwise we would never know.
The Gospel reading is from St. Matthew. The Lord expounds on the meaning of several of the rules for life given by God to Moses on Sinai.
Christ speaking about the law given to Moses reveals two important points. The first is that God’s law is permanent and unchanging. This is logical. It touches very basic instincts and conditions among humans, all attached deeply and intrinsically to human nature itself. As such, it is not open to qualifications or to changes that humans might wish to make.
Secondly, the Lord speaks here with authority. He defines and explains the law of Moses. Jews did not regard the law of Moses as merely a set of principles personally composed by Moses. Rather, they saw that Moses was the medium through which God revealed to humanity his divine law. God is the author of this law. He is the author of the commandments. He is the lawgiver.
By defining and making this law more precise, the Lord acts as God. It is an important revelation of the identity of Jesus.
Reflection
The Mass readings this weekend help look back on recent feasts the Church celebrated and look forward. In both cases, it confronts us with the realities of our nature. It highlights our relationship with God. It shows us that God loves us with a divine love.
At Christmas, Epiphany and at the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, the Church celebrated the events of salvation achieved for us by Christ, but it also told us about the Lord. It identified him.
In these readings, the Church tells us that it is folly to wander away from God’s law and follow our instincts or our limited reasoning. Humans, impaired by Original Sin, always have trouble understanding this lesson.
Soon, the Church will lead us into Lent. It will be a time in which we will be led to know our limitations more clearly. And, with the help of God’s grace, we can conform ourselves with what we are—human beings destined for eternal life with God in Jesus. †