Sixth Sunday of the Year - A Cycle - Matthew 5:17-37
We have a 5 year-old-grandson who is in preschool.
He learns that he will get burned when he touches something hot. He learns that he can fall to the ground and bump his head if he climbs on a tree in our front yard.
In child development, the child progressively learns by natural instinct how to use logic to ensure that his basic needs of life are met. The child even learns to be safety minded by not trying to chase and catch in his hand those nice-looking yellow bumble bees. Or it may be the other way around, the bees chasing him.
But what about when we become adults?
Is our learning process completed? Many seem to think so!
Being an adult, we consider ourselves mature! /mờchua/
But, are we really mature in the whole of our being according to the teachings of the Bible?
True maturity does not only consist of getting a job and finally settling down with a family.
That is worldly maturity. Spiritual maturity has to do with learning spiritual virtues that will benefit the holiness of the soul.
The First Reading tells us that God placed before us fire and water and He tells us to stretch out our hand to take which ever we choose.
Through the Sacrament of Baptism, we are witnesses to each other that we have stretched out our hand and chosen water.
But how many choose the second gift of God with joy, the fire?
The Second Reading refers to understanding God's wisdom, what is sacred and hidden, what God decreed before the ages for the glory of all.
In the book of Genesis; chapter 1:26, God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness..." The last words were, "to our likeness", referring to God's characteristics.
God decreed that His children would be in His likeness, having His Divine characteristics.
Now, consider Adam and Eve who were perfectly happy in the Garden of Eden before they sinned through their disobedience.
- Did they have all of God's characteristics? Or
- Did they lack some of them? Did they cry or understand sadness?
- Did they understand hardship from hard work?
- Did they know what it feels like to lose a loved one?
- Did they have the ability to understand what it meant to be angry or to be violent?
Could they understand shame before they sinned?
Could they understand the words forgiveness, mercy and compassion?
Could they have practiced faith, hope and charity when there was no need for it because God was present among them and they already lived a life of perfect love?
It appears from the above list, one that is far from being complete, that while Adam and Eve were happy in many ways, they were deprived of many characteristics that would entitle them to be children of God in the likeness of God Himself.
Religious truths teach us that while God did not want sin to enter the world, He allowed it to happen as punishment.
Religious truths also teach us that God can make good things come out of all things, including from evil things.
While we have been cursed by sin and called to suffer physical death, we are blessed by the knowledge and spiritual growth that we gain through the outcome of sin.
Like my grandson who touched the muffler of the running lawn mower at two years old, he certainly became wiser.
He will not touch anything hot a second time because he does not want to get burned again.
In the Gospel, Jesus said:” unless our righteousness exceeds that of the scribbles and Pharisees, we will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” Jesus brought this message of love to the world. He taught us that love overcomes everything!
Jesus overcame the world. (Jn. 16:33)
Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good. (Rom. 12:21.)
God is concerned for our salvation that is obtained through the spiritual growth of our soul, in the living of our faith in Jesus Christ.
By His grace, we are given the purifying fire of the Holy Spirit to transform us into holy children.To become holy children, we must reconcile with our brothers and sisters, first of all, being concerned with our spiritual maturity.
It is not important what the others think because we have forgiven someone who was hurting us.What is important is that we have obeyed God's command to love one another.
Today's readings teach us that in our lives, we must seek out our spiritual maturity.
We must open our spiritual minds to the Holy Spirit who searches everything, even the depths of God, so we can know the will of God in all things.
Knowing the will of God, we must be moved to act upon it, doing the acts of goodwill that the Holy Spirit inspires us to do.
We must stop looking at the hardships and sufferings of life as punishments from God.
Rather, we must ask ourselves, "What does God want me to learn from this discipline?"
"What virtue can we gain from this hardship or suffering?"
Can we learn patience that Adam and Eve could not have learned?
Can we learn compassion for others who have similar hardships?
Can we learn not to be judgmental?
When we will have learned what God is trying to teach us, having been disciplined by the grace of a loving Heavenly Father and having been purified by the fire of the Holy Spirit, then we will begin to shine as children of God in the likeness of God Himself.
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