REFLECTION:
     Avoid Sin and Do Good
     Keeping the Law is good. Sirach tells us that to be faithful to the Law is to be at peace with God. But it is interesting that Sirach does not refer only to the avoidance of breaking the Law, like “not stealing“ or “not killing“ or “not committing adultery.“ He also considers the doing of good as part of keeping the Law! So he also speaks of charity and almsgiving, of kindness and generosity. Being faithful to the Law is not only “not doing evil“ but it is also “doing good!“
     We cannot appear before the judgment seat of God empty handed. He says so clearly “Do not appear before the Lord with empty hands.“ When we appear before God we must be able to show that we have duly given our “tithes,“ that is, we have generously fulfilled the Law of Charity and remembered our neighbors. We must remember that on our Final Examination Jesus will ask only one question: “What did you do when you saw me hungry, and thirsty, and sick, and homeless, and naked, and in prison?“
Would that when we do appear before our Divine Judge we may receive a merciful judgment!