Today is the twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Our response to the Psalm at Mass today is “the precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart”. What exactly does that mean?
Precepts are commandments or requirements. What are God’s precepts? I would start with the Ten Commandments (Ex 20). Jesus summarized them by telling us to love God and love our neighbor (Mt 22). He then emphasized the requirement to love one another as a “new commandment” in Jn 13.
If we live out these precepts we will be joyful. Can you love another and not feel joy over it? Can you avoid sin and not have your life changed? There is joy in all these things.
The challenge for us, of course, is in not loving well, or loving in a way that is more about ourselves than the other.
Can anyone avoid the things the Ten Commandments warn against and not be better off? Can we do the things those Commandments encourage and not advance in holiness?
So many times the Church is criticized for being too rule centric and yet, we don’t look deeply into ourselves to discover how much better off we would be if we did follow the rules. If the Church has any genius it seems to me that it is how it understands human nature. Knowing that we tend to stray from God the Church provides the sacraments to help us. God, of course, knows what we are, He made us after all, and He provides precepts to help us as well.
So, let’s embrace the Precepts of the Lord and live the life He wants for us. It will bring us joy.
That’s it for now. Thanks for reading.
I hope you have a great week.
Peace, Bob
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