Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Official Translation

Reading 1 - Sirach 15.15-20

If you choose, you can keep the commandments;
And to perform faithfulness is of your own free will.
He has set fire and water before you:
stretch forth your hand to whichever you will.
Before man is life and death;
and whichever he likes, it shall be given him.
For great is the wisdom of the Lord:
he is mighty in power, and sees all things;
and his eyes are upon those who fear him;
and he has knowledge of every work of man.
He has not commanded any man to be ungodly;
and he has not given any man license to sin.

Responsorial – Psalm 119.1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34 Resp. 1b

R. Blessed are those who walk according to the Lord’s law.

Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,
who walk according to the Lord’s law.
Blessed are those who keep his statutes,
who seek him with their whole heart.

R. Blessed are those who walk according to the Lord’s law.

You have commanded your precepts,
that we should fully obey them.
O that my ways were steadfast
to obey your statutes!

R. Blessed are those who walk according to the Lord’s law.

Do good to your servant. I will live,
and I will obey your word.
Open my eyes, that I may see
the wonders from your law.

R. Blessed are those who walk according to the Lord’s law.

Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes.
I will keep them to the end.
Give me understanding, and I will keep your law.
Yes, I will obey it with my whole heart.

R. Blessed are those who walk according to the Lord’s law.

Reading 2 1 COR 2:6-10

Brothers and sisters:
We speak wisdom among those who finished,
yet a wisdom not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age,
who are coming to nothing.
But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the secrets,
which God foreordained before the ages for our glory,
which none of the rulers of this age have known.
For if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
But just as it is written:
“What eye did not see, and ear did not hear,
what did not mount upon the heart of a human,
God prepared for those who love him.”
For to us, God revealed them through the Spirit,
for the Spirit searches all, even the depths of God.

Gospel - Matthew 5.17-37

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that
I came to destroy
the law or the prophets.
I came not to destroy but to fulfill.
For most certainly, I tell you,
until heaven and earth pass away,
not even one iota or one comma
shall in any way pass away from the law,
until all things are accomplished.
Whoever, therefore, shall break
one of these least commandments
and teach others to do so,
shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven;
but whoever shall do and teach them
shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

For I tell you that
unless your righteousness
exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees,
there is no way
you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
“You have heard
that it was said to the ancient ones,
‘You shall not murder;’ and
‘Whoever shall murder
shall be in danger of the judgment.’
But I tell you that
everyone who is angry with his brother
shall be in danger of the judgment;
and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raqa!’
shall be in danger of the Sanhedren;
and whoever shall say, ‘You fool!’
shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.

“If therefore
you are offering your gift at the altar,
and there remember that your brother
has anything against you,
leave your gift there before the altar,
and go your way.
First be reconciled to your brother,
and then come and offer your gift.
Agree with your adversary quickly,
while you are with him on the way;
lest the prosecutor deliver you to the judge,
and the judge deliver you to the guard,
and you be cast into prison.
Most certainly I tell you,
you shall by no means get out of there,
until you have paid the last penny.

“You have heard that it was said,
‘You shall not commit adultery’,
but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye ensnares you, pluck it out and throw it away from you.
For it is better for you that one of your parts should perish,
than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.
If your right hand ensnares you, cut it off and throw it away from you.
For it is better for you that one of your parts should perish,
than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.

It was also said,
'Whoever sends away his wife, let him give her a writ of divorce',
but I tell you that whoever sends away his wife,
(except because of perversion),
makes her commit adultery,
and whoever marries a divorcée commits adultery.

Again you have heard that it was said to the ancients,
‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows’,
but I tell you, do not swear at all,
neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God,
nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet,
nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Nor shall you swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black,
but let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No’.
Anything more than this is of the evil one.”