LAW AND FREEDOM: GOD’S LAW AND CHURCH’S LAW PERFECT AND PURIFY HUMAN LAW

 LAW AND FREEDOM: GOD’S LAW AND CHURCH’S LAW PERFECT AND PURIFY HUMAN LAW

6^TH SUNDAY: HOMILY: YEAR [A]

 (FEB 12) MT 5:17-37

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON

• ·         Asking God to PROTECT and SAVE us, to LEAD us and GUIDE us

COLLECT

• ·         God abides in hearts that are JUST AND TRUE.

PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS

• ·         The offering may become the source of ETERNAL REWARD for those who DO YOUR WILL

PREFACE VI

• ·         …Daily effects of your CARE…
• ·         …ETERNAL LIFE…

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

• ·         …ALWAYS long for that food by which we TRULY LIVE…

INTRODUCTION

• ·         The meaning of Jesus is “God is SALVATION.”
• ·         We call Jesus by the title “Jesus is our SAVIOUR”
• ·         Our daily experience of our TRAFFIC RULES is for our protection, our safety, our guidance
• ·         We have UMPIRE in the cricket games and a REFEREE in the football
• ·  Have we come to the church because of the SABBATH LAW /OUT OF COMPULSION or have we come to the church out of our FREE WILL, because we LOVE GOD, we want to be grateful to him for all his blessings.
• ·         THE GOAL OF GOD’S LAW AND CHURCH’S LAW is holiness of life, salvation and eternal happiness in heaven.
• ·         We need to obey GOD’S LAW and CHURCH’S LAW 
• ·         We need to FORGIVE, FORGET AND MOVE TOWARD RECONCILIATION as soon as possible.  St. Paul advises us “Be angry (righteous anger) but do not sin” (Eph 4:26).
• ·         We need to be TRUE TO GOD, TO OURSELVES AND TO OTHERS. 

THE FIRST READING (Sirach 15:15-20)

• ·         If you WILL, you can keep the COMMANDMENTS, and TO ACT FAITHFULLY is a matter of your OWN CHOICE (v. 15).
• ·         He has placed before you fire and water (v. 16); life and death (v. 17),
• ·         He has not commanded any one to be ungodly (v.20); he has not given any one permission to sin (v.20).
• ·         He sees everything (v. 18); knows every deed of man (v. 19). That means there will be reward and punishment. You cannot simply get away with after having done something knowingly, willingly and without any force from outside.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM: (Ps. 118)

• ·    They are HAPPY who follow/obey GOD’S LAW:WORD/who are blameless/who do his will/who seek him with all his heart/
• ·         Asking to OPEN THE EYES so that we may consider the wander of God’s law.
• ·    Asking God to TEACH the demands of the law; asking God to TRAIN us to observe his laws and to KEEP IT IN OUR HEARTS

THE SECOND READING (1 Cor 2:6-10)

• ·         The author wrote the book for the Jews who were exposed to the pervasive influence of a HELLENISTIC CULTURE which believed that humans were helpless pawns in the hands of the gods.   He asserted that there should be NO COMPROMISE WITH THE PREVAILING CULTURE when it came to keeping God’s law.
•    What is the culture in which we live: a culture of hedonism/ pleasure seeking especially sexual pleasure, comfort loving, money making, and power seeking……? These are all earthly realities/earthly cultures and values which does not give eternal happiness.
• ·         How are we living God’s Law in front of these cultures.
• ·         St. Paul says that we impart a secret and HIDDEN WISDOM OF GOD (Christ) and not the wisdom of this age (v.7)
• ·         But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who LOVE HIM,” (v.9)
• ·         John 14:24 “WHOEVER DOES NOT LOVE ME DOES NOT KEEP MY WORDS; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.” (Joh 14:24 NRS)
• ·         John 14:23 Jesus answered him, “IF A MAN LOVES ME, HE WILL KEEP MY WORD, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (Joh 14:23 RSV)
• ·         Psalm 119:101 “I restrain my foot from evil paths to keep your word.” (Psa 119:101 NJB)

 GOSPEL (Mt 5:17-37)

• ·         There is a tension between the Gospel and the first reading. While Jesus makes the commandments even more DEMANDING, Sirach claims that we can keep the commandments IF ONLY WE REALLY WANT TO.
• ·         Jesus challenges his disciples to live a life of justice and righteousness which should exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees.
• ·         In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus explains the real meaning of THREE MOSAIC LAWS CONCERNING MURDER, ADULTERY AND FALSE OATHS.
• ·        We might claim to have followed all the 10 commandments, 5 commandments of the church, not missed Sunday mass and yearly confession or monthly confession but if our life does bear witness of a true Christian life then our following of commandments are in vain.

  MURDER

• ·         RESPECT LIFE in all its stages in words and deed because anger kills
• ·         Anger in the heart 
• ·         Anger in speech:
• ·         Anger in action:
• ·         The sunset must not find you still angry.

ADULTERY

•  ·    Willfully generated evil and IMPURE THOUGHTS AND DESIRES which remain in the mind.
• ·         Our HANDS become causes of sin according to what we touch and how we touch, in lust or greed or violence.
• ·         Our EYES become agents of sins according to what they look at and how they look at.
• ·         Mutilation of eyes and hands he is not spoken literally. It means to discipline them.

FALSE OATHS

• ·         I am the way the TRUTH and the life (john 14:6)
• ·         How forceful are honest words! (Job 6:25).
• ·         Jesus teaches,   “Say yes when you mean yes and say no when you mean no” (Mt 5:37).
• ·         Oaths are not required if we tell the truth

SOME STRAY THOUGHTS

• ·         There is no kingdom without rules
• ·         In a good family no rules are required
• ·         Jesus: I have not come to abolish the law but to fulfill them (Mt. 5:17)- Jesus made us call God our Father
• ·         God’s kingdom will be ruled by only one Law- law of love- Love of God and love of neignbour
• ·         Does my following of the commandment of God, Church and religious congregation make me enter into a greater intimacy with the Lord and my neighbor?