Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time A  February 13, 2011

Sirach 15:15-20 Psalm: 119  1 Cor 2:6-10   Matthew 5:17-37

On the 9^th June 1973, Secretariat won the Triple Crown by 31 lengths.  But what was remarkable and unnoticed was her owner Mrs. Penny Chenery. In spite of every hurdle she had to face: financial, opposition from her brother, scepticism of other horse owners, she chose to believe the horse could and would win. She made the choice.

The book of Sirach is from the Wisdom literature. Sirach tells us that we have the power to choose. We can choose good that leads to life, or choose evil that leads to death. The power to make moral choices makes us human. This statement of Sirach is the statement in the Scriptures that is closest to Pelagianism. Pelagius stated that a person had the power to make a choice between doing good or doing evil, without divine intervention.

 A few centuries earlier, St. Justin Martyr said something similar. He stated that 'every created being is so constituted as to be capable of vice and virtue. For he can do nothing praiseworthy, if he had not the power of turning either way'. 'Unless we suppose man has the power to choose the good and refuse the evil, no one can be accountable for any action whatever.'

The delicate balance between the doctrine of Free will and the doctrine of predestination has been and will be the source of constant debate and disagreement.

We know from reality that we pay the price of our actions either good or bad.  If

• we eat properly
• we exercise daily
• we work hard at our jobs
• we take the rest that is sensible –

Then one can expect to have a peaceful and healthy life.  If however

• we drink alcohol excessively
• we gamble
• we drive recklessly
• we live promiscuously –

then we cannot blame God for the mess that follows in our lives.

Coming back to the readings, they all seem to apparently contradict each other. We start with St. Paul. Last week he said we should not put our trust in secular wisdom and philosophical mind games. In preaching the Word of God, one should not use gimmicks but proclaim the Cross and Resurrection in its stark reality. 

This Sunday he seems to backtrack. Wisdom Knowledge, insight are gifts, which may and can and should be used in the service of the Kingdom. Wisdom – the type no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no heart has perceived, - is to be treasured. Paul had to tread carefully here, because this is precisely what the Gnostics were proclaiming. They claimed a special Spiritual Wisdom and insight given by God. This was not learnt in schools nor did the Pharisees teach it. Paul would agree with them to this point.  However Paul would condemn for the next step taken by the Gnostics. They claimed that because of the imparted knowledge, they were superior to their fellow believers. They did not need to pray, nor fast nor do any penance. They had a spiritual insight, which gave them a free pass to heaven.

In our Gospel we have another teaching, which seems to fly in the face of our first reading: the teaching of Sirach.  We have a choice. Jesus puts forth three principles here. This is an ideal way of life. We have a short reading in which Jesus tells us of three prohibitions:

Prohibition to murder

Prohibition to adultery

Prohibition to swearing oaths.

 In the longer reading of the Gospel, Jesus spells out in detail the implications of these prohibitions. Jesus would tell his disciples of a new order.

“You have heard it said”  - but I Jesus, “say to you.” It is a new teaching without playing games. It is a new teaching without loopholes. We are ready and willing to obey these prohibitions, to live a good life. However when Jesus goes into detail, the standard of behaviour seems unrealistic and beyond our powers. If we are asked to do the impossible, how can we be held responsible when we fail?

A little boy came to confession, he said that he had disobeyed his parents, he had fought with his brothers and sisters. He told lies. When I asked him:

• Are you sorry for these sins. His reply was “Yes, I am.”
• Do you want to do them again? He replied, “No, I do not want.”
• Will you avoid committing them again? He replied, “yes, I will”
• Will you do them again? ? He replied, “yes, I will”

He was honest enough to realise that he was human and he would fail. So how do we do good and choose life as Sirach tell us, - when we know that we are frail, we are human we will fail, we will sin again?

The answer was given to me by the same boy.

I want to do good.

I am human and I will probably still fight, disobey, lie.

I am going to try the best I can.

I will leave the rest in God’s hands.

AND God will not let us down.