Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Sunday – 16 February 2014

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Verses:         

Sirach 15:15-20

Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34

1 Corinthians 2:6-10

Matthew 5:17-37

FIRST READING: A Reading from the Book of Sirach (Sirach 15:15-20)

 ¹⁵ If you choose to,
you will keep the commandments,
    and keep faith out of goodwill.
¹⁶ He has put fire and water before you;
    you can stretch out your hand
    for whichever you choose.
¹⁷ Life and death are in front
of human beings;
    and they will be granted
    whichever they please,
¹⁸         because the wisdom
        of the Lord is great;
        he’s mighty in authority,
        he sees everything,
¹⁹ his eyes are upon those who fear him,
        and he knows every human action.
²⁰ He doesn’t command anyone
to be ungodly,
    and he doesn’t give anyone
    a license to sin.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34)

119 Those whose way is blameless—
    who walk in the Lord’s Instruction—are truly happy!
² Those who guard God’s laws are truly happy!
    They seek God with all their hearts.
⁴ God, you have ordered that your decrees
    should be kept most carefully.
⁵ How I wish my ways were strong
    when it comes to keeping your statutes!

¹⁷ Be good to your servant so I can go on living
        and keeping your word.
¹⁸ Open my eyes so I can examine
        the wonders of your Instruction!

³³ Lord, teach me what your statutes are about,
    and I will guard every part of them.
³⁴ Help me understand so I can guard your Instruction
    and keep it with all my heart.

SECOND READING: A Reading from the Book of Corinthians (1 Corinthians 2:6-10)

Definition of wisdom

⁶ What we say is wisdom to people who are mature. It isn’t a wisdom that comes from the present day or from today’s leaders who are being reduced to nothing. ⁷ We talk about God’s wisdom, which has been hidden as a secret. God determined this wisdom in advance, before time began, for our glory. ⁸ It is a wisdom that none of the present-day rulers have understood, because if they did understand it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory! ⁹ But this is precisely what is written: God has prepared things for those who love him that no eye has seen, or ear has heard, or that haven’t crossed the mind of any human being. ¹⁰ God has revealed these things to us through the Spirit. The Spirit searches everything, including the depths of God.

GOSPEL: A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew (Matthew 5:17-37)

Jesus and the Law

¹⁷ “Don’t even begin to think that I have come to do away with the Law and the Prophets. I haven’t come to do away with them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ I say to you very seriously that as long as heaven and earth exist, neither the smallest letter nor even the smallest stroke of a pen will be erased from the Law until everything there becomes a reality. ¹⁹ Therefore, whoever ignores one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called the lowest in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever keeps these commands and teaches people to keep them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ I say to you that unless your righteousness is greater than the righteousness of the legal experts and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Law of murder

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago, Don’t commit murder, and all who commit murder will be in danger of judgment. ²² But I say to you that everyone who is angry with their brother or sister will be in danger of judgment. If they say to their brother or sister, ‘You idiot,’ they will be in danger of being condemned by the governing council. And if they say, ‘You fool,’ they will be in danger of fiery hell. ²³ Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift at the altar and go. First make things right with your brother or sister and then come back and offer your gift. ²⁵ Be sure to make friends quickly with your opponents while you are with them on the way to court. Otherwise, they will haul you before the judge, the judge will turn you over to the officer of the court, and you will be thrown into prison. ²⁶ I say to you in all seriousness that you won’t get out of there until you’ve paid the very last penny.

Law of adultery

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, Don’t commit adultery. ²⁸ But I say to you that every man who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart. ²⁹ And if your right eye causes you to fall into sin, tear it out and throw it away. It’s better that you lose a part of your body than that your whole body be thrown into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to fall into sin, chop it off and throw it away. It’s better that you lose a part of your body than that your whole body go into hell.

Law of divorce

³¹ “It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a divorce certificate.’ ³² But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife except for sexual unfaithfulness forces her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Law of solemn pledges

³³ “Again you have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago: Don’t make a false solemn pledge, but you should follow through on what you have pledged to the Lord. ³⁴ But I say to you that you must not pledge at all. You must not pledge by heaven, because it’s God’s throne. ³⁵ You must not pledge by the earth, because it’s God’s footstool. You must not pledge by Jerusalem, because it’s the city of the great king. ³⁶ And you must not pledge by your head, because you can’t turn one hair white or black. ³⁷ Let your yes mean yes, and your no mean no. Anything more than this comes from the evil one.

Yet if it were a delusion (as you assert) which tells us that the soul is immortal, and that there is a judgment after death and a reward of virtue at the resurrection, and that God is the Judge, we would gladly be carried by such a lie as that, which has taught us to lead good lives awaiting the hope of the future even while suffering adversities.

-- St Apollonius

For the mass, you may visit Sambuhay TV Mass at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZlEikobo44

Source:

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Common English Bible (CEB)

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