The wisdom teacher Sirach writes in the last centuries before Christ. The bible refers to his writing by name or by the title Ecclesiasticus. His advice anticipates the insights of Matthew in this Sunday’s Gospel.
Sirach recognizes human beings have the capacity to make choices. We can choose to keep God’s commandments, or not. We can stretch out our hands toward fire or water, toward life or death. The Holy One knows every human action, Sirach tells us, yet we have freedom of choice and opportunities to learn from consequences.
Our freedom has not been good news for some of us. Doing the right thing seems easier when someone in authority tells us what the right thing is. Today parents have to find words to welcome a son’s or daughter’s same-sex partner or talk with children who don’t want to attend Mass any more.
Vatican II echoes Sirach in describing conscience. “Deep within their consciences men and women discover a law which they have not laid upon themselves and which they must obey. Its voice, ever calling them to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, tells them inwardly at the right moment: do this, shun that.
“For they have in their hearts a law inscribed by God. Their dignity rests in observing this law, and by it they will be judged. Conscience is the most secret core and the sanctuary of the human person. There they are alone with God whose voice echoes in their depths” (Constitution on the Church in the Modern World #16).
This law that we find in our hearts is the Wisdom of God. We foster this Wisdom when we attend to our inner lives and actions and when we join the community of believers that continues the healing, teaching, compassionate, inclusive ministry of Jesus.
Faithfulness is a choice.
If you choose, you can
keep the commandments;
you can choose to act faithfully.
There is before you fire and water.
Stretch forth your hand
toward whichever you choose.
Before each human person
are life and death;
what each chooses will be given.
Great is the wisdom of God,
who is mighty in power
and all seeing.
God’s eyes are on those
who fear God;
the Holy One knows
every human action.
God has not commanded anyone
to be wicked, nor given anyone
permission to sin.
Sirach 15.15-20
- What wisdom do you find written in your heart?