13 September 2020
Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
There is a book in the Old Testament known as Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus. If the Devil could edit this book, would change Sirach 28:7 to look something like this:
- Choose the moral system that you prefer.
- Hate the people who get in your way.
- Forget about God.
- Grow in amazement at the poor decisions of others.
Let us be careful to avoid that path. We can see where it leads so many people today.
Fortunately for us, the inspired text of Sirach 28:7 remains unedited in most bibles. According to this verse, instead of choosing whatever moral system we find preferable, we should “think of the commandments,” that is, let our moral thought be guided by divine law. Instead of hating those who get in our way, we should “hate not your neighbor,” that is, let go of hatred. Instead of forgetting about God, we should “remember the Most High’s covenant,” that is, remember that God has and still does reach out to us with his grace. Instead of gazing with impish delight at the poor decisions of others, God tells us to “overlook faults,” that is, to forgive.
2,200 years after it was written, Sirach, in a nutshell, still gives us the best chance we have of overcoming the chaos, discord and destruction we see all around us:
- Strive to obey the moral teachings of the Church.
- Learn how to love your enemies sincerely and honestly.
- Meditate on and participate in the mystery of Christian redemption.
- Forgive those who trespass against you.
Do this today and the Devil will have one less thing to smile about.