Choose To Live By The Commandments

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HOMILY FOR THE SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME( YR A) FEBRUARY 12, 2023

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Then Jesus tells him: “If you would enter life, keep the commandments
( cf. Mathew 19:17)

My Dearest Friends in Christ,

We have gathered once again to reflect and learn from the everlasting wisdom of God. God’s wisdom is embodied in His commandments, and these, Sirach tells us to choose to live by, in order to have life: ” If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you“. We pray, to make the right choices today, and live by the life-saving word of God and His commandments.

Our Choices Determines Our Future

If life and death were a choice for anyone to make, it is obvious that everyone would choose to live. We dread anything that will lead to death, but implicitly the choices we make in life are often an invitation to death. For instance, in spite of the age-long warning that smokers are liable to die young, have people stopped smoking? Every human person has the freedom to make a choice. The reason why people choose evil instead of good may not even fully be explained by psychological theories but underlying every choice for action is the intention (behavioral intention) which may be influenced by social or religious norms and etc. Human beings have a unique ability to convince themselves that no matter what they have done they are “okay.” Think about it. How many times have you heard, “Well it wasn’t the best choice, but it will be okay.” Or “Yes I know I shouldn’t have done such, but it’s okay. It’s not like I do that all the time.” God has given people creative minds and freedom of the will and we tend to use our powers for evil and not good.

Our Religious Faith Should Inspire Our Actions Positively

Every action undertaken by a Christian should be motivated by the intention to live by the commandments of God, which implies a choice to live. Our Christian life is deeply rooted when our religious beliefs influence our actions positively. We often unintentionally choose death by rejecting to live by the commandments. The commandments are divine positive laws above every man-made law. They were not put together by some Jewish scribes but handed from God to Moses on tablets of stone. In them, lies the eternal wisdom of God given to humanity. When you meditate on these commandments you will realize that it takes care of every human condition across all cultures and generations and therefore don’t need to be updated. We need to come to an appreciation of the commandments and strive to live by them. We may see them as restrictions to our liberty but they are, in fact, the true source of liberty. Our life and death as Christians are tied to our choice of or rejection of the commandments. “They teach us to open ourselves to a dimension that is larger than the material, to live with respect for persons, overcoming the avidity for power, for possession, for money and to be honest and sincere in our relations, to protect the whole of creation and to nourish in our planet lofty, noble and spiritual ideals.” Pope Francis

Sirach in the first reading says God does not give anyone license to sin. And indeed, no one has this license nor is exempt from keeping the commandments. Jesus also warns about this in the gospel. What are you planning to do next? I hope it isn’t breaking a commandment.

We Need the Holy Spirit to Understand and Keep God’s Commands

Paul in the second reading tells us about his reliance on the wisdom of God and not on the wisdom of this age. The children of this age do not understand spiritual things so what we preach about Christ may not make sense to them. It was the foolishness of that age that led them to crucify the Lord. God’s wisdom as Paul put it, could only be known through the Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can tell us about God and His wisdom. This knowledge is unattainable by human wisdom or investigation. Whatever we say about the life-giving power of God’s commandments may not make sense to the worldly-minded. This is why we need the Spirit of God to understand the spirit of His commandments; with only this can interpretation of them be understood.

Love is the culmination of all the Commandments

Jesus fulfilled the laws and the Prophets through His teachings and actions which culminated in His death on the cross. He summed up the laws and the prophets in the new commandment of love God, neighbor, and self. When you are truly loving, you are living according to the ‘commandments. The commandments are there to help us to be loving, respectful, just, merciful and caring for God’s creation. Ask yourself today; Have I ever put the law before love in my attitudes or actions? Jesus emphasizes the seriousness of these commandments and warns us about breaking them.

Caveat: Please don’t kill a fellow human in words or in action. Life is precious. Every child (including a fetus in the womb) and every human person is a gift from God. Control your lustful passion by “custody of the senses” and prayerful life. Do not divorce your lawfully wedded wife for any reason. It doesn’t please God. Accept the challenges of marriage as your cross. Reconcile with those who hurt you before coming into God’s presence for such is what God desires more than your gifts at His altar. Religious worship without reconciliation with others is hypocrisy.

Without prayer and meditation, it will be hard to live by the commandments of God. We ask God for the grace that we overcome our selfish inclinations and hold on to His commandments; for only by doing so shall we live and promote peace and love among all men and women.