The 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time – 27th February 2022
Lectionary Readings: Eccl. 27:4-7; Ps. 91:2-3, 13-16, 2; 1Cor. 15:54-58; Lk. 6:39-45
Theme: Building a fairer world

The readings for this Sunday make us reflect on what we have in our hearts. What we have in our hearts and what we witness to, or should witness to: is it the Christ, or is it our selfish interests, criteria, and prejudices? The first reading, taken from the book of Ecclesiasticus (Sirach), gives us some advice: let’s not judge people by our first impression or by their attitudes. Let them speak, because words reveal the truth or the lie that each one has in his heart. It is through the word, and through conviviality that we get to know people. The author desires to guide the reader’s behavior, preserving it from failure, misbehavior, and wrong judgments.

Paul, in the second reading, makes it clear that death lost its value with the Resurrection of Jesus because the resurrection is the victory of Christ and Christians over death: “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Cor.15:54-55). Slavery, misery, and injustices too lose their value and all Christians are invited to seek a world of justice, love, and peace; because it is the Lord who gives us life and this life is not to be projected into the world to come, but now, Today! It is now that, as faithful people to the message of Jesus, we must build a more human and fraternal world, trying to eliminate the forces of selfishness, sin, and death that prevent, already on this earth, life in its fullness.

This is not an easy task, and Evangelist Luke is concerned about false teachers, not those outside the Christian community, but within it: “hypocrites!”, false teachers who disguised as holy, lead the people to a reality different from the one that Jesus taught us.

According to Luke, the true teacher will always be a disciple of Jesus, who is the teacher par excellence; and the teachings cannot depart from what Jesus said and taught. In the Christian community, there are no places for those “judges”, intolerant, intransigent, and “owners of the truth”, who are always looking for the smallest fault in others to condemn, but who are not concerned with the mistakes and faults that they themselves have committed.

This Sunday we are invited to remember that we must be witnesses and not judges: as Christians, we must love and forgive and not point the finger at others in an attempt to hide our faults. Let us be carriers of love and not of judgment!

For Reflection and Discussion: 1. Are we as demanding of ourselves as we are of others? 2. Are we aware of our permanent need for conversion and transformation?

Bibliography: McKenzie, J.L. Dictionary of the Bible (New York: 1965).

This week’s Sunday Liturgy Commentary was prepared by
Nayon Nigel Cezar
, Israel, Bat Kol Contributor

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