The readings on the 6th Sunday of Ordinary time invite us into a deeper way of living. A way of life that is marked by wise choices, openness to God, and relationships shaped by love.
The Book of Sirach grounds us in a simple but demanding truth: life is shaped by choices. God places before us life and death, good and evil, and entrusts us with the dignity of freedom. We are not coerced into goodness, nor excused from responsibility. Sirach’s images of fire and water remind us that what we reach for matters. Our words, our reactions, and our treatment of others, therefore, should always reflect what enriches and nourishes life and goodness.
St. Paul deepens this understanding by challenging our assumptions about wisdom itself. The wisdom of the world prizes strength, recognition, and control. It appears impressive, yet it fades quickly. God’s wisdom, revealed most clearly in the cross of Christ, looks entirely different. What the world sees as weakness, God uses as the path to salvation. This wisdom cannot be grasped by intelligence alone, but it requires humility, trust, and openness to the Spirit. Paul reminds us that God is always at work beyond what we can see, offering peace, meaning, and hope even amid uncertainty.
In the Gospel, Jesus leads us beyond a faith of rules into a faith of the heart. He honors the law, yet reveals its deepest meaning by drawing our attention to our inner attitudes and intentions. What truly matters is not outward compliance but the spirit from which our actions arise. By addressing anger and violence, Jesus calls us to reverence every person, every relationship, and life itself. His wisdom is relational, not controlling, inviting us freely into love shaped by purpose.
Today, we can reflect on this question. When I make choices each day, am I asking only what is required of me, or am I allowing God to shape the intentions of my heart?
Rev. Elvin Cardoso, SJ
I am a Jesuit priest from Goa, India’s tiny but beautiful state. I studied in a Jesuit school that was from where I got my vocation. I was ordained in 2016. I am currently pursuing a degree in the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership at Creighton University.
I am truly grateful for this opportunity to share and express my faith while simultaneously enhancing and nurturing my prayer life.
