Maximum (2020-02-16, Sunday-06)

2020-02-16 – 6^th Sunday in ordinary time

_ Sirach 15:15-20 _ Psalm 119 __1 Corinthians 2:6-10 _ +Matthew 5:17-37 _

[_01_]      The comedian and TV-philosopher Jerry Seinfeld does this comedy routine on the searching and buying of a good medicine or aspirin.

          Seinfeld says – look no one wants a medicine, anything less than “extra strength”… cause just plain “strength” is right out.

          Some people want more than extra strength – they want maximum strength: “give me the maximum allowable human dosage.”

          Figure out what is going to cause me not to knock me out cold à Then back it off from there.

          Religiously and legally we do this --- we ask about MAXIMUM and we also ask about MINIMUM. Say – on Ash Wednesday or on Good Friday – when we fast / are fasting … we ask what is the least I can consume…or the most. 

          By the way, I posted a message/video about this on parish Lourdes website /Facebook page… and our Ash Wednesday schedule: February 26.

[_02_]       Regarding the 10 Commandments, we might ask, what is the LEAST I can possibly do? In this Gospel of Matthew chapter 5, Jesus is guiding us not just about LAW, but about LOVE. For example on Valentine’s Day, no one said – what is the least expensive gift I can buy? So, the law is about LOVE of God and neighbor and self:

          How we contemplate;

          How we consume

          How we commit.

[_03_]    1^st Idea: ‘TO CONTEMPLATE’ .  When we pray – we not only contemplate God, the Church, something out there…but also ourselves. Jesus said it this way:

“if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your [sister or brother] has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your [S or B], and then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:22-23)

          Consider – you or I have to go to a family funeral or wedding or other celebration in church and we realize we are not on good / cordial terms or speaking terms with someone. Or, someone has something against us.

          Going to church is an act of faith and contemplation, but we may realize we are contemplating some other burden.

          And, we have to walk into church with that on our hearts.

That might be maximum pain or maximum heartache. Now, sometimes, we cannot actually confess or reconcile with the other directly face-to-face. But it’s an opportune time to confess, to confess our sins to a priest, so that we can be reconciled with a clean heart before we come to the altar. Psalm 51: A humble contrite heart O God you will not spurn.

          This small stuff helps us to contemplate and be in right relationship with God and neighbor.

[_04_]     2^nd  Idea: “TO CONSUME.”

          Jesus speaks about what it means to consume, and to CONSUME his wisdom, his word and even the body of Christ in Communion.

          The prophet Jeremiah wrote: “When I found your words, I devoured them, they became my joy and the happiness of my heart.”  (Jeremiah 15:16)

          What do we consume? There are words – information -  images – everywhere online and offline.

          There are many images we might consume – and they are not all nourishing and healthy for us.

          Images that can – at least in the short term – misinform if not actually deform – our consciences.

          There are many indecent images in the world – can we look away? Jesus is associating this and cautioning us about adultery and how it can begin.

          To avoid “consuming” these image may seem to be “small stuff. But if we use Caller-ID to keep ourselves away from harmful people, can we not use some of the same tools or controls on our phone to stay away from harmful images.

          It will seem to be small stuff to look away from an image or look away from a halftime show, but does it not make a difference not only in heaven with God, but also here on earth, to a beloved spouse, girlfriend, sister. 

          This is call to purity of the eyes for everyone, but it’s especially challenging for men and young men. It’s small stuff, but it matters what we consume.

[_05_]   3^rd Idea: ‘TO COMMIT’

Regarding commitment, Jesus said, simply:  “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No” (Matthew 5:37)

          I am guilty of this, sometimes saying too much when I could say less.        Let yes mean yes and no mean no. Full stop. Period. No exclamation point needed.

          As an example, I recall that I had to commit myself – make myself – available for a family birthday party that was scheduled and re-scheduled and required me to change my personal individual schedule around.

          For a day or so, I felt frustrated about this, but later realized that it should not be such a big deal.

          There are commitments that do require a solemn promise and a public vow and the explicit help and acknowledgment of God in our lives, for example:

-         Commitment of parents and godparents on the day of a baptism of a child, to promise to raise the child up in the ways of God.

-         To make the vows of marriage in church, before God, for richer for poorer in sickness or in heath. In this regard, your commitment in marriage has the same gravity and gravitas and permanence as a woman or entering religious life or the priesthood. In fact, your commitments in matrimony are an inspiration to me in my own commitment to care for our parish family.

And, these commitments involve a lot of small stuff, but they bring us closer to God each day, and the full big picture – to maximum view of our life and love.  [_fin_]