“He guides the humble to justice, and teaches the humble his way.”  This line from this weekend’s responsorial psalm reminds us, as our Lord reminds us repeatedly through his life, and through all the scriptures, that humility is the key to everything.  

“Strengthen the bond of unity between the faithful and the pastors of your people, together with [Francis] our Pope, [Timothy] our Bishop, and the whole Order of Bishops, that in a world torn by strife, your people may shine forth as a prophetic sign of unity and concord.”  These words come from one of the Eucharistic Prayers available for the priest celebrant to use in the Mass.

In our first reading for this weekend, we hear this strong advice against harboring wrath and anger. When Sirach says “These are hateful things,” we can take it to mean we should hate wrath and anger. But we can also take it to mean that wrath and anger against others operate on principles of hate.

In the Mass, the people are not passive, but receptive. This was a significant point made by Fr. Mike Schmitz in his “Catechism in a Year” series. In those other settings, we sit and listen as the audience (from the Latin word “to hear”).

“Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God…” This excerpt from our second reading, from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, is applicable in every generation. The Church, responding to controversies in every age, pores over the scriptures anew, although she knows them intimately, as well as divine and human principles, and consulting applicable knowledge and wisdom (including subject-matter experts in various sciences), all, as it is said, on her knees in prayer.