Wisdom of Sirach 32:23-24 LXX

In every work entrust your soul to the Lord,
For this is the keeping of the commandments.
He who believes in the Law heeds the commandments,
And he who trusts in the Lord will not suffer loss.

Personal Challenge

Is Jesus the center of everything that I do? Whether it be work for my employer, activities in my daily life, or my acts of the faith that I practice, Jesus should show through as the reason for being as well as my reason for doing. Jesus was the author and the fulfiller of the Law, so doesn’t it make sense that If I say that I believe in Him and desire to live my life in His image that I will embrace His commandments and live by them? I do not do this because I am bound by the Law, but because I am set free by His love for me and in response to that I desire to obey Him. Glory be to God!

Wisdom of Sirach 32:14-17 LXX

The man who fears the Lord will receive instruction,
And those who rise early will find His approval.
He who seeks the Law will be filled with it,
But the hypocrite will be made to stumble by it.
Those who fear the Lord will discover judgment,
And like the light they will kindle righteous deeds.
A sinful man will turn aside correction
And find a rationalization according to his will.

Personal Challenge

As Christians, we are called to live our lives in the likeness of Christ at all times. One of the illnesses in our culture today, especially as it has crept into the church, is dualism. I can profess to love Jesus and show that love for Him on Sunday while at church and live like the devil the rest of the week. I can claim to be a follower of Christ, who commands me to love my neighbor, and go throughout my day being hateful and scornful of people that I don’t like. I can read my scriptures and proclaim how wonderful they are and then shout praises for leaders, actors, and other people of the world whose very lives and teachings contradict the love of Christ. If I am to truly be a Christian, a follower of Christ and His teachings, then this is an all or nothing commitment. My life can no longer be informed by my Lord, but transformed. My life can no longer by mine, but His. I must stop becoming a Christian and be a Christian. This is why we were promised the Holy Spirit. This is why we receive the Holy Spirit in our chrismation. It is Him dwelling within us that gives us the power to live constantly for Christ. The challenge for me and my free will is to not quench the Holy Spirit and do what He leads me to do. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Wisdom of Sirach 30:21-24 LXX

Do not give yourself over to sorrow,
And do not distress yourself deliberately.
Gladness of the heart is the life of man,
And rejoicing by a man lengthens his life.
Love your soul and comfort your heart,
And put sorrow far away from you;
For sorrow has destroyed many,
And there is no profit in it.
Envy and anger will shorten your days,
And worry will bring premature old age.

Personal Challenge

One of the challenges that we have in our modern society is that we have a pill for almost everything that can come up in our lives. Granted, there are definitely good aspects of modern medicine and health practices. In many respects, these are miraculous gifts from our Father above. However, there are many things that happen in our lives because of our choices and our responses to the consequences of these choices. Here we have Ben Sirach reminding us that if we give ourselves over to sorrow there will be all kinds of negative consequences. He does not say that we will not have situations where grieving and sorrow are appropriate. God created us to grieve in times of loss and to be sorrowful at times of pain and suffering in our lives or the lives of those around us. We are being told here to not let that sorrow consume us but to deal with it from a heart that can rejoice in the love of our God and the love of those around us. This not only applies to sorrow but to all of the passions in our lives. It is our responsibility to our God and to each other to control our passions and to not let them control us. Glory be to God!

Wisdom of Sirach 28:2-3 LXX

Forgive a wrong done you by your neighbor;
Then your sins will be pardoned when you pray.
Can a man preserve wrath against his neighbor
And still seek healing from the Lord?

Personal Challenge

Our Lord has called us to take our eyes off of ourselves and to set them upon God and our neighbor. He did this when He commanded us to follow the two great laws: love our God and love our neighbor. Part of doing this is the act of forgiving others for the offenses that they have done to us. Without sincerely doing this, giving true forgiveness to another, then we cannot fully receive the forgiveness that God want to give to us. This is not because God does not have the power to give us this forgiveness but it is because if I do not forgive another I cannot be humble enough to receive the forgiveness being offered to me. And as modern science has begun to bear out, if I do not forgive others and let go of my wrath towards them, then I will begin to suffer illness in my body. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Wisdom of Sirach 25:1 LXX

There are three things beautiful to see,
And they are beautiful before the Lord and men:
The harmony of brothers, friendship between neighbors,
And a wife and husband well-adjusted together.

Encouraging Words

Unity is such an important aspect of a committed Christian life. Jesus prayed for it. Paul prayed for it and wrote about it. And throughout the scriptures and teachings of our fathers, it is held in highest regard. Why is this? Unity has its roots in eternity Our God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the perfect example of unity. Three in one, and one in three, each with their own role and yet all with one role. This is what we are called to do, to be in unity with all around us, even to the point of sacrificing ourselves and our desires. Glory be to God!

Wisdom of Sirach 2:27 LXX

Who will set a guard over my mouth,
And a prudent seal over my lips,
That I may not fall because of them,
And that my tongue may not destroy me?

Personal Challenge

I need my Lord to be the guardian of my mouth because left to my own capabilities I cannot properly bridle my tongue. It may not be harsh or profane words that I speak, but if I enter into conversations a bout another, or participate in gossip, then my tongue has become offensive. Once a word is spoken then it is impossible to bring it back in, so it is important to learn how to speak deifying words or to not speak at all. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Wisdom of Sirach 21:1-3 LXX

My son, have you sinned?
No longer add to them, but pray about your former sins.
Flee from sin as you would from the presence of a snake,
For if you approach it, it will bite you;
Its teeth are like lion’s teeth, destroying the souls of men.
All lawlessness is like a two- edged sword,
For there is no healing from its wound.

Personal Challenge

When Jesus would forgive people of their sins and heal them of their infirmities He told them to go and sin no more. He does not chastise us when we confess our sins to Him. He forgives us and tells us to stop committing the sin. This is what repentance should be in our lives. When we sin we should run to Jesus for forgiveness and then do everything we can to run away from those conditions, those thoughts and attitudes, anything that will lead us back into this sin. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me the sinner!

Wisdom of Sirach 20:5-7 LXX

There is a man who is silent but is found to be wise,
And there is a man who is hateful because he talks too much.
There is a man who is silent because he has no answer,
And there is a man who is silent because he knows when to speak.
A wise man will keep silent until it is the right time to speak,
But an arrogant and undiscerning man will speak out of turn.

Personal Challenge

As I progress further and further along the journey of my life and try harder to understand the ways of my Lord and who He wants me to be, the less I am becoming interested in politics and the things of this world. This is so because I am not a citizen of this world but an ambassador of another kingdom. I do exercise my responsibilities because as an ambassador I am to be a good representative of my homeland abiding by the laws of the land in which I live. This passage causes me great concern as I survey the decrepit state of our political system as it is today. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

St. Ambrose of Milan stated, “Now what ought we to learn before everything else, but to me silent, that we may be able to speak? Lest my voice should condemn me, before that of another acquit me, it is written: ‘By thy words thou shalt be condemned.’” Oh, how much we, as a people who call ourselves a “Christian” nation, have forgotten these teachings and have become so enamored with rhetoric, self aggrandizement, and putdowns of this around us.