Homily 6th Sunday Ordinary Time
February 12, 2023
Franklin Fong, OFM
If we were to listen in all sincerity to the deepest desire of our hearts, what would it be? Wouldn’t we want to be heroic in loving God AND OTHERS?
In the first reading from Sirach, we hear that it is our decision to be wise ! God’s laws help us to decide and make wise choices and wise decisions. Holiness is about being wise and keeping God’s commandments. There is no wisdom when we follow our own instincts.
Since God has so made us, he alerts us to what he desires above all things: “ Be all that you can be!” Can we deny that is our desire?
The Psalm 119 teaches us to pray for guidance and strength to keep God’s laws.
In the second reading from St Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians we hear about how we should possess God’s wisdom if we love God. In seeking our own material needs and immediate gratification, we cannot be holy. By seeking higher values that are found in God’s commandments we walk the path of holiness in our faith journey on earth. We are truly blessed in having been given the wisdom of faith , a share in God’s own wisdom, and to guide us in making our free choices of choosing life or death. So this reading then reminds us It is time to re-examine our motives for doing what we do or don’t do.
The challenge given to us in the Gospel today is that God so loves us that he invites us to grow in becoming like him and not to want to settle for mediocrity for ourselves. We do owe more to ourselves than half-measures! Jesus challenges us to move beyond mere observance of the laws and the avoidance of sins! He wants us to grow in a personal relationship with God. He asks us to be generous in giving ourselves , especially in seeking reconciliation with others. The way is to look deeply into our hearts.
We should not be stingy in our responses to God’s challenges. We should always try to do more! We should always try to be more aware and sensitive to God’s challenges ! How we use our hearts when doing our jobs, ministries and dealing with others is at the key of following God’s commandments.
In the final analysis we will get what we want.
We get what we have chosen as we heard in the first reading. We make God’s laws the basis for making our choices and decisions in life.
The psalm encourages us to pray for wisdom that we will do only what is right.
The second reading urges us to work for God’s wisdom and not for human wisdom.
The Gospel reading urges us to be holy and to practice faith to the maximum.
So, as members of the Chinese Catholic Community, what do we want in our faith journey? What do we choose to do to witness to our faith as we bring the light of Christ throughout our life’s journey?
Brothers and sisters of the Chinese Catholic Community
that is the Good News for this 6th Sunday or Ordinary time.
Alleluia Alleluia !
(中文翻譯.原文以英文為準.)
常年期甲年第六主日
鄺神父主日道理中譯本
讀經一: 德訓篇 15:15-20
讀經二: 聖保祿宗徒致格林多人前書 2:6-10
瑪竇福音: 5:17-37
如果我們真誠地傾聽內心最深處的渴望,那會是什麼?難道我們不想成為愛天主和愛他人的英雄嗎?
在德訓篇的讀經一中,我們聽到這是我們明智的決定!天主的法律幫助我們做決定,做出明智的選擇和明智的決定。聖潔是指有智慧並遵守天主的誡命。當我們跟隨自己的直覺時,就沒有智慧。
既然天主如此創造了我們,祂就提醒我們祂最想要的是什麼:“盡你所能!”我們能否認那是我們的願望嗎?
聖詠119篇教導我們祈求指引和力量來遵守天主的法律。在聖保祿致格林多人的第一封書信的讀經二中,我們聽到如果我們愛天主,我們應該如何擁天主的智慧。在尋求我們自己的物質需求和即時滿足時,我們不可能聖潔。通過尋求天主誡命中的更高價值,我們在世上的信仰之旅中走上了聖潔的道路。我們真的很幸運,因為我們被賦予了信仰的智慧,分享了天主自己的智慧,並引導我們做出選擇生或死的自由選擇。因此,這篇讀經提醒我們,是時候重新審視我們做或不做的動機了。
今天福音給我們的挑戰是,天主如此愛我們,以至於祂邀請我們成長,變得像祂一樣,不要安於平庸。我們對自己的虧欠比折衷措施更多!耶穌挑戰我們超越僅僅遵守法律和避免犯罪!祂希望我們在與天主的個人關係中成長。祂要求我們慷慨地奉獻自己,尤其是尋求與他人和解。方法是深入觀察我們的內心。
我們不應該吝嗇對天主挑戰的回應。我們應該總是嘗試做更多!我們應該始終努力對天主的挑戰更加了解和敏感!我們在工作、事奉和與他人打交道時如何使用我們的心是遵循天主誡命的關鍵。
歸根結底,我們會得到我們想要的。
我們得到我們在讀經一中聽到的選擇。我們將天主的法律作為我們在生活中做出選擇和決定的基礎。
• 聖詠鼓勵我們祈求智慧,讓我們只做正確的事。
• 讀經二敦促我們為天主的智慧而工作,而不是為人類的智慧而工作。
• 福音讀經敦促我們要聖潔,最大限度地實踐信仰。
那麼,作為華人天主教團體的一員,我們在信仰之旅中想要的是什麼?當我們在整個人生旅程中帶來基督之光時,我們選擇做什麼來見證我們的信仰?
華人天主教團體的弟兄姊妹, 這是常年期第六主日的好消息。
阿肋路亞, 阿肋路亞!
