First Reading                 Sirach 15:15–20

Response                       Psalm 119:1b

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

Second Reading            1 Corinthians 2:6–10

Gospel Acclamation    Matthew 11:25

Gospel                            Matthew 5:17–37

We come to church to worship on Sundays.  When we leave, when Fr gives the final blessing, is when our Christian leadership starts.

Our Lord looks at the content of our hearts, not just our external appearances and behaviors; He knows our deepest motivations and desires.  Matthew Kelley puts our human condition very succinctly.  He said we are very good at deceiving ourselves.  The Pharisees thought they were in a very good and healthy relationship with God.  But in fact, they were not.  They actually ended up rejecting God.  They were the major players behind the crucifixion of Jesus.  Are we sure that we are not conducting ourselves like Pharisees? We are not persecuting Christians like the Pharisees were persecuting Christ followers.  We all probably are regular church goers.  We must also remember that our work starts after the mass ends.  I think much of my adult life I didn’t know what Jesus truly expects of me.

In the second reading we read that St. Paul points out the beauty of what God has in store for those of us who love Him.   Our Lord in today’s Gospel acclamation says this wisdom is hidden from us.  It is revealed to infants.  A short reflection will tell us that our Lord is telling that she (the Wisdom) is given to those who are humble.  We need to be constantly on-guard to keep updating this wisdom, so we do not effectively persecute Christ unconsciously.

We all need to stop being a thermometer and become like a thermostat.  Let’s say I am holding a thermometer that reads 70 Degree F.  If I insert that thermometer in cup of water that is 80 Deg F, it will adjust itself to its environment.  However, if we take a thermostat and set it to 70 Deg F.  It will invoke necessary actions to change the environment to 70 Deg F and not adjust itself to match the environment.  We Catholics must be careful not to adjust ourselves to the culture but work to change the culture to our standards.  For this, we need to understand our standards.  We are capable of impacting the culture.  A cursory look at Church history clearly reveals our positive impact on society in the past.  So, let us finish with couple of verses from our first reading today as a prayer:

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³³Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes,

and I will observe it to the end.

³⁴Give me understanding, that I may keep your law

and observe it with my whole heart.

Let us align all our actions in the society to build God’s Kingdom and not to persecute Christ unconsciously; because “eye has seen, nor ear heard,

nor the human heart conceived,

what God has prepared for those who love him.