From Fr. Eric Asamoah
6th Sunday Ordinary Time
Our experience of making choices brings us back to our reading from Sirach. The book of Sirach is full of practical advice and wisdom, rooted in Jewish tradition. In this passage, Sirach reminds us that there is one fundamental choice to be made — the choice between life and death. This shows the deep respect God has for our freedom. But it also makes us responsible for our choices. God does not force obedience.
On this 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, we are invited to follow God with our whole heart. His commandments are not just rules, they are to guide us to make the right choices. This leads to real joy and peace.
The Responsorial Psalm 119, is the longest psalm in the Bible which focuses on God’s law and doesn’t treat law as a burden. The psalmist asks God for help to understand the law and to follow it with a sincere heart. We invited then to love God’s command and ask for the grace to follow them.
Matthew’s Jesus in today’s Gospel does not overturn the Law of Moses (God’s commandment), nor does He set his followers free from the Law. He requires His followers to go beyond the Law by doing more than the Law requires.
Jesus shows that fulfilling the law means living with true righteousness. Faith is not just about obeying rules; it is about having a heart that seeks what is right.
Jesus teaches that lust, dishonesty, anger and resentment, all begin in the heart. The importance of forgiveness is so great that it comes before strict religious duties. He tells us “leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your neighbor.”
Lent is just around the corner. And so, now is the time to think of how we’ll choose life and avoid death. What are those spiritual practices I’m going to take on; extra prayer, fasting, daily Mass, etc. that are going to give me life?
And what will I give up, in order to better pursue good, and choose life? God be with you all.
Ash Wednesday Reflection: –Feb 18
Ash Wednesday marks a profound threshold, a day when the Church invites us to step away from the noise of the world and enter the sacred silence of the desert. It is an essential day in the life of a Catholic because it serves as a stark, physical reminder of our human frailty and our absolute dependence on God’s mercy. When we receive the ashes formed from the burned palms of the previous year’s Hosannas, we are reminded that our earthly journey is finite. The words “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” are not meant to be morbid; rather, they are a grounding truth that strips away our pretensions, inviting us to live with greater intention and a more sincere orientation toward eternity. This ritual humbles us, leveling the playing field of our humanity and uniting us in our shared need for a Savior.
Central to this day is the call to interior transformation, as beautifully articulated in the Gospel of Matthew. We are cautioned against performing our righteousness for the applause of others. Ash Wednesday is important because it challenges the modern instinct to curate an image of perfection. Instead, we are told that when we give alms, our left hand should not know what our right hand is doing; when we pray, we should go to our inner room; and when we fast, we should not look gloomy so that others may see our sacrifice. These instructions emphasize that Lent is not a season for public performance, but for a private, authentic return to the Father who sees what is hidden. By focusing on secret acts of charity, prayer, and penance, we ensure that our Lenten journey is a matter of the heart rather than a display of vanity.
Ultimately, Ash Wednesday is the gateway to the Paschal Mystery. It sets the tone for the forty days ahead, teaching us that the path to the joy of the Resurrection must first pass through the honesty of the Cross. It is a day of hope, signaling that no matter how far we have wandered, the door to repentance is open. By embracing the ashes, we publicly commit to a season of shedding our old selves to make room for the new life Christ offers, beginning a journey of purification that leads us closer to the heart of God. I wish a fruitful season of lent.