Reflection for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A 2023
We are fortunate to live in a free country . We experience many freedoms such as freedom of speech, of religion, and of assembly.. but with these freedoms also come obligations and responsibilities. To assure that these rights and privileges would be preserved for all time, our forefathers passed laws to protect these freedoms. Without laws our rights and privileges could be violated o even become non-existent. Laws and regulations protect us and others, our environment and our country.
Today’s readings speak about God’s law. Though it may sound simple, it is far more challenging than any law written by humans. God’s law is written in every person’s heart. And is based on love. God’s law is pre-eminent over all other laws. Jesus has told us the most important of God’s laws is to love God with all our whole heart, soul, and being, and our neighbor as ourselves ( Mt.22:37-39). Each one of us has a free will given by God and we may choose either to obey or not to obey God’s laws. The decision is ours as are the consequences – good or bad.
Jesus died a humiliating death on the Cross to set us free from sin and death. This freedom is not to be taken as free from but, more accurately, as free to. We are free to love God and keep his commandments, so as to be united with him forever in heaven. During the time of Jesus, people considered Him to be unconventional, as one who rejected tradition and the Judaic law. But Jesus did not come to break the law, he came to fulfill it. He encouraged the people to live by the spirit of the law. Jesus perfected the law by fulfilling God’s promise.
Jesus wanted the people to feel free to come to him, to know his love, his faithfulness, and his forgiveness. In order to be free to do this, Jesus gave them the most rigorous and the highest moral standard by which to guide their lives. Jesus condemned not only murder, but unforgiving anger. He commanded that we love our enemies. It is our freedom to choose whether or not to place our trust in God and live by the laws of God has given us. Seek to hear God’s wisdom in your hearts and have the courage to act upon it in order to walk the way of the Lord.
Jesus redeemed us by his blood, he gave us new life in the waters of baptism, and he fills us with the power of the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us on our journey through life. In listening to the Holy Spirit, we can live our lives in obedience to the laws of God in faith, hope, and love.
May God bless you all
Fr. Dominic
Your brother in Christ