6^th Sunday, Year A: Homily by Fr Isaac

Theme: Exceeding Righteousness

Readings: Sir 15:15–20; 1 Cor 2:6–10; Mt 5:17–37

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church reminds us of a very important moral truth: whatever we become in this world, and wherever we will be in the next, is the result of the choices we freely make each day. The decisions we take in our daily lives shape our future. If we choose the good, we prepare for a joyful life on earth and eternal glory in heaven. But if we choose evil, we jeopardize our happiness both now and in the life to come.

Throughout history, many great thinkers have tried to deny human responsibility for moral choices. They have appealed to science, nature, psychology, and philosophy to argue that human actions are predetermined by external forces, leaving no room for free will. Yet the truth remains: before every action, two possibilities stand—to choose or not to choose. Whichever we embrace, we have made a choice, and the very existence of choice reveals freedom.

It was in response to the attempts by some Jews to blame their environment and the social realities around them for the moral and spiritual choices they were making that the author of the Book of Sirach wrote today’s first reading. He addressed Jews living in Greek pagan cities, immersed in the Hellenistic culture that believed humans were helpless pawns in the hands of the gods and that human actions were predestined. Influenced by this worldview, many Jews joined the Greeks to participate in immoral practices, actions contrary to God’s commandments, and then blamed Greek culture for their sins. Sirach told them that the prevailing Greek culture should not lead them to compromise their religious duty of keeping God’s commandments. He made them understand that whenever an unholy action was presented to them by Greek culture, they still possessed the freedom to choose or not to choose. Therefore, if they chose evil, they chose death and were responsible for that choice; but if they chose the good, they chose life.

Dear friends, we too often feel tempted to blame external forces for our moral failures. Sometimes we blame friends, society, culture, nature, or psychological pressures. But today the Church reminds us that obedience or disobedience to God’s law is always a free choice, and we are responsible for the consequences of our choices. God places before us, in every action, the choice of life or death, good or evil. Whatever we choose will be given to us. We cannot blame anyone for the decisions we freely make. Let us therefore choose the good always.

Choosing the good, however, may bring insults or persecution. Sometimes society as a whole embraces evil. We see how secular culture and governments promote false ideologies about human life and human sexuality, even enforcing them through law. As Christians, what do we do when confronted with such choices? Do we follow the majority down the wrong path, or do we stand firm in the truth?

Dear friends, we are called to rise above the false choices and teachings of the world. We cannot join society in choosing evil, even if choosing the good makes us a minority. In today’s Gospel, Christ tells His disciples that unless their righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees, they will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Likewise, if we cannot reject the false ideologies and immoral teachings about life and human sexuality promoted by governments, friends, and society, then heaven is not for us. Jesus expects His followers to make choices that are better, purer, and holier than those of the world. He calls us to exceeding righteousness.

To choose the good consistently, both Sirach and St. Paul remind us that our decisions must be guided by the wisdom of God. We must not rely on human wisdom, which often uses attractive but deceptive arguments—sometimes even appealing to science—to justify evil or to claim that God’s teachings are outdated. Consider the promotion of abortion as a woman’s right, homosexuality as a human right, euthanasia as compassionate care, bribery and corruption as unavoidable, or fornication as necessary for social life. These are products of worldly wisdom, not God’s wisdom. The Church urges us to seek the hidden, quiet wisdom of God, found in His commandments, and to let this wisdom guide our daily choices. Christians must live above the basic moral standards of society.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us concrete examples of how His disciples—meaning all of us Christians—are called to live above the basic moral standards of society. While the law teaches that physically killing another person is murder, Jesus asks more of His disciples. He wants us to recognize anger in speech, anger in thought, and anger expressed in actions as forms of murder as well. Jesus places anger and hatred on the same level as murder and tells us to avoid them, because when we hate someone, we have already killed that person in our heart. Hatred denies another person the dignity and love they deserve; in this sense, it is a kind of murder. Anger and hatred also prevent us from seeking the good of others.

Jesus also wants us to understand that anger and hatred divide Christian communities, and a divided community cannot offer worthy sacrifice to God. Our daily communal prayers and our participation in the Mass lose their meaning if we harbor resentment or hostility toward one another. Instead, Jesus urges us to go and reconcile with our brothers and sisters before coming into God’s presence to make our offerings.

The law also condemns adultery as a physical act, but Jesus demands more from His disciples. He teaches that lustful desires are already adultery in the heart, because sin begins in the mind. Therefore, we must uproot lust from our hearts before it grows into action. Likewise, while the law permits oaths as long as they are truthful, Jesus calls His disciples to such integrity that oaths become unnecessary. Our “yes” should mean yes, and our “no” should mean no.

Jesus wants us to heal the roots of social evils of murder, adultery, and deceit by eliminating the attitudes that give rise to them. Anger and hatred lead to murder. Lust leads to adultery. Lies are deceit in themselves.

Dear friends, let us ask for the grace to choose the good always, guided by God’s wisdom, and to live the exceeding righteousness that Christ expects of His disciples.

Peace be with you.

Rev. Fr Isaac Chinemerem Chima

 6^TH SUNDAY, YEAR A: REFLCETION BY FR JULIAN EKEH

THEME: HOW IT IS VS HOW IT SHOULD BE

(Matthew 5:17-37)

The Gospel of today is part of the collections of Jesus' teachings and sayings on the mountain, popularly known as the sermon on the mount. His sayings are loaded with wisdom, for He is the wisdom of God. His teachings are filled with knowledge intended to correct, redirect, educate, set records straight, reveal the mind of God, and guide people on the right path by the light of the word. Let us follow Jesus and see the steps He followed to impact His message.

 

OBSERVATION

Jesus must have observed the people, listened to them, been with them, and spoken with them. During the course of their interaction, He must have observed the missing links in their thought patterns, modus operandi et modus vivendi. He must have tried placing side by side what they do, what they say, what they claim to have heard, and what they believed with what they ought to hold fast to. And this led Him to help them out, to lead them out of both their ignorance and their distorted knowledge.

If Jesus looks below, wouldn't He find out that it is worse now than then? Certainly, He will observe a lot of abnormalities, inconsistencies, inhuman deeds, light headedness, etc.

Could it be that the silent days of Jesus before His actual public appearance was a period of observation for Him, of mingling with them, mixing with them, discussing with them in the form of dialogue? Yes, it is. Then, when the time came, He came out to teach with authority. Has Jesus not observed us a lot, given us enough signs to believe and choose good and not evil? Must we wait for the teaching that will be thought by experience? Let's be conscious of Christ in our midst trying to guide us in the right path of life.

 

AND JESUS BEGAN TO TEACH THEM

When a teacher, a speaker or a preacher stands to teach, speak or preach as the case may be, the people weigh him, predict what he has to offer or attempt to grasp where he is heading to or even expect him to say what they want to hear. Jesus warned them against such thoughts. He says: "Do not think I have come to abolish the law and the prophets." This presupposes the fact that there were people who would love Jesus to thwart or bend some of the commandments to suit their personal whims and caprices. Such persons are not happy with the " how it is" that is in line with "how it should be." There are times when the practice of our world is in order. There are people still who do not want it done that way. Thus, Jesus comes to confirm the happenings that are good while discouraging the laws or rather the interpretations of the laws that are actually misinterpretations.

Are there laws we wish the Church, the society, the family, and the community to abolish? A particular community begged the Bishop to remove the sixth commandment for them. A boy pleaded with the father to allow him to be viewing obscene videos. A man told his wife to look away from his immoral and irresponsible lifestyle for peace to reign. Some individuals in the Church continue to push for the pope to approve homosexuality and see it as normal. In the faces of such circumstances, Jesus maintains: "I have not come to abolish but to fulfil."

He comes to call the spade by its name. Good is good. Evil is evil. No middle position. This is the summary of His teaching. Say yes when you mean yes, and say no when you mean no.

 

WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD?

This statement continued ringing in the Gospel: "You have heard how it was said... But I say to you. "What have you heard? From whom? These are the questions. It is very important that we evaluate the sources of our information to avoid deformation that comes through misinformation. This is a lesson we must learn from Jesus. We have to learn to listen to what God is in the midst of the multiplicity of ideas flying here and there. We have to go back to the drawing board to know how God wants it to be and how, indeed, it ought to be before we venture into it. After hearing the many opinions, we must only listen and act according to the directive of Christ in order not to face the crisis of abandoning God.

Society is saying a lot, the social media is saying a lot, the peer associations are saying a lot, the various groups on the social networks are saying volumes. When in crisis in your marriage, do you go to these various sayers? When you are into relationship problems, where and who do you run to? Jesus is the only teacher per excellence. Your children in school will hear a lot. But when they come back, insist on: "But I say to you." Temptations to cheat will come up but hear Jesus tell you: "But I say to you" Friends will advise you to do it this way or that contrary to your faith in God but obey Christ telling you: But I say to you. Don't get used to how things are now that are not in accord with the will and teaching of Christ.

May God bless His word in our hearts.

 LET US PRAY

Thank You, Lord God, for Your Son's word today from the holy mountain of Your glorious inspiration and truth. May it continue to be a light to our paths and a lamp for our steps. Grant that we may be rightfully guided by these right teachings and encouragements through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Happy Sunday to you. (6th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Yr A)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh