COMMANDMENTS,  LAWS, 

RULES  AND  REGULATIONS 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 6^th Sunday in Ordinary Time [A]  is, “Commandments,  Laws,  Rules and Regulations.”

Today’s 3 readings  - from Sirach, Paul and from Matthew - feature the theme of Commandments, Laws, Rules and Regulations.

Is there a rule that we ought to preach on the readings of the day?

In general, I suppose,  it’s a supposed to.  At least I hear that rule or rubric  in books and articles about preaching. And it has become an expectation for many.

What’s your take on the topic – of commandments, laws rules and  regulations?

What are your expectations and inner rules about meals and noise and common courtesy?

A  FEW  QUESTIONS 

What was it like growing up with your parents – in your home?

Was one parent stricter than the other parent?

The schools you went to, what was the atmosphere in the classrooms? Did anyone have a teacher with the nickname, “Gestapo”?

In life as a Catholic  were you conscious, when changes after 1960? came

Are you strict, scrupulous, severe, or a piece of cake and a teddy bear?

If you were ever the boss, what were you like?

The church: how has it changed for you?

What have been your experiences about commandments, laws, rules and regulations?

PERSONAL EXPERIENCES

My sister Peggy was a nun and she told me an older nun said to her when they started the practice of getting an allowance each month, “Finally, I’ve been doing this all my life already.”

My aunt was a nun in Portland, Maine, and she came down to New York for the World’s Fair in 1964.  It was summer and it was hot. She was still wearing full habit.  She said, “Now I see why  these young nuns are yelling for  a change of habit.”

I had the job of novice master for 9 years – had 9 classes – and I guessed right. To many guys their novice year was the worst year of their life - and they complained about their novice year and their novice master for the rest of their life.  I chose not to go that way. I guessed most would choose to leave in the long run, so why not make this one of the best years of their life – no crazy rules. Foster human development – challenge them for healthy independence and good life choices. Life takes time for people to “Go figure.”

DEEPER QUESTIONS

Scripture means written.  I hold that we need to get to the pre-written – the unwritten assumptions – expectations – we all have -  and that’s where primary communication needs to take place.

Does every person have a whole bunch of inner commandments – chiseled into our  stony hearts – by life’s experiences? I’m sure we’ve all heard the classic:  “Eat dessert first! You never know when you’re going to die.”

I have a theory that there are 10 real commandments and they rule the roost. Years ago, cynically I wrote them out – with abbreviations – and got them published somewhere. Here are mine. What are yours?

THE REAL

TEN  COMMANDMENTS

        

1)     Protect your turf.                       (PYT)

           2)      Cover your ass.                              (CYA)

           3)      Mind your own business.              (MYOB)

           4)      It’s whom you know.                       (IWYK)       

           5)      Volunteer the other person.    (VTOP)

           6)      Me first.                                             (M#1)

           7)      Don’t trust anyone.                      (DTA)

           8)      Blame the other person.            (BTOP)

           9)      Everybody does it.                        (EDI)

           10)    Money talks.                                    (MT)

               

                                                                                                                     

                                                                                                                                       ©  2014  by Andrew Costello

                    

I hold those should be looked at first. 

Oops! That's a commandment!

Haven’t we expressed an expectation and another says to us: “Who says so?”

I also think we should think about the  established 10 commandments in the Bible.

We can also type into Google:  “3 Rules for Life”  or “10 Ways to Be a Better Driver”  or “10 Rules for the Road” or 7 Secrets for Success!”

Moses and Mohammed like characters down through history have come up with rules for life.

To get extra weight they might say: “God  gave me these rules and regulations.”

Then like the people in the scriptures and the people in our lives – we realize people  break those commandments. We sin. Sometimes we then experience ambivalence and confusion. 

Where are you when it comes to “Have to’s” or “Thou shalts”? Matthew’s Jesus – as in today’s gospel – suits us when we’re in our strict mode – keeping the smallest letter and the smallest part of a letter, of the law.

Then we also run into a different sounding Jesus summing up the whole law – with the commandment to love.  Does everyone have to meet and experience that Jesus? 

Does every person need  to have a Paul experience – fall on our face – realize we were all wrong when it comes to the Law – and discover the freedom of not killing ourselves and others – because of our rigid righteousness – and end up saying with Paul in Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens and then when we do this, we fulfill the law of Christ.”

Does every person discover one of life’s great commandments: KISS – Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Does everyone have to discover the first and last sentence in today’s gospel from Matthew?  Notice how simple some laws and rules can be.

The first sentence: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets, I have come to abolish but to fulfill?”

So: yes, we need laws  - when they are for our benefit – like when driving, “Use your blinkers.”   “Keep the speed limit.”

Or when walking, “Don’t litter!” “Curb your dog!”

Or when living, “Don’t pollute!” “Keep the water clean!” .

And notice the last sentence in today’s gospel – the Yes and No rule for life: “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes’ and your ‘No” mean “No”!

How simple a rule for life that can be?

CONCLUSION

Someone said the secret of happiness is the ability to say 3 words: Yes, No and Wow.