The Readings
- First Reading: Sirach 15:15-20
"If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you; if you trust in God, you too shall live... Before everyone are life and death, whichever they choose will be given them." This passage from Sirach powerfully affirms human freedom. God sets before us fire and water, good and evil, life and death. We are not puppets; we have genuine choice. Yet this freedom comes with responsibility—our decisions have eternal consequences.
- Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34
"Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!" This long psalm celebrates God's law (Torah) as a path to blessing, guidance, and life. It is not a burden but a gift that enlightens the eyes and directs our steps.
- Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:6-10
Paul speaks of a hidden wisdom revealed by the Spirit: "What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard... God has revealed to us through the Spirit." This wisdom is not of this world but from God, who searches the depths and shares divine mysteries with those who love Him.
- Gospel: Matthew 5:17-37 (or the shorter form 5:20-22, 27-28, 33-34a, 37)
Jesus declares, "I have come not to abolish but to fulfill" the Law and the Prophets. He then deepens the commandments: anger is akin to murder, lust to adultery, oaths to dishonesty. Righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees—it must reach the heart, not just external actions.
Reflection
These readings converge on a single, profound truth: God's law is not an external imposition but an invitation to authentic freedom and interior transformation.
Sirach reminds us that we stand at a crossroads every day. We are not coerced into holiness; we choose it. This choice is liberating because it aligns us with the Creator who desires our good. The psalm echoes this by portraying the law as a source of blessing and light—something to delight in, not dread.
In the Gospel, Jesus radicalizes this invitation. He does not lower the bar; He raises it to the level of the heart. It is not enough to avoid murder if we harbor anger; not enough to avoid adultery if lust consumes us. Jesus calls us to purity of intention, integrity of word, and love that mirrors the Father's perfect love.
Paul's words in Corinthians provide the key to living this higher righteousness: it is impossible by human strength alone. True fulfillment of the law comes through the Spirit who reveals God's wisdom—wisdom that the world cannot grasp. This Spirit dwells in us, enabling us to choose life, to follow the law joyfully, and to live with hearts transformed.
In our own time, when moral relativism tempts us to redefine right and wrong according to personal preference, these readings challenge us: Will we choose the narrow path of God's wisdom, or the broad road of self-deception? Jesus shows us that true freedom is not license to do whatever we feel like, but the freedom to become who God created us to be—holy, as He is holy.
As we approach the Eucharist on this Sunday, let us ask the Holy Spirit to scrutinize our hearts (cf. 1 Cor 2:10). Where do we settle for external compliance while harboring resentment, impurity, or dishonesty? Where have we diminished God's law to fit our comfort? Let us choose life—choose the commandments, choose purity of heart, choose the hidden wisdom of the Cross.
May Mary, who pondered God's word in her heart and said "fiat" to His will, intercede for us, that we too may follow the law of the Lord with joy and be blessed in our choices. Jesus IS the Law!
Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
