Monday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time

"Do right, Love kindness and Walk humbly"
 
Complaints about empty, external worship occur in several prophets and it would be easy to assume that the last verse in today’s reading from the Prophet Micah is a rejection of the earlier mentioned sacrifices and offerings. “Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God,” this is “what the Lord requires” (6:8), Micah proclaims.
 
But a more careful reading of the scripture text and its context suggests rather that sacrifices and offerings, while part of worship, are complete when they lead to a life of justice, steadfast love and humble walking with God. Offerings and sacrifices are good but no one offering or gift to God exhausts God’s claim on our whole existence.
 
To do the right thing here means carrying out all the implications of my place on the stage of human history, my lot in life. It requires that we learn what God is asking of us in the particular circumstances of daily life. “To love goodness” seems a generalized translation of a word asking for loyal commitment to God and neighbor. “To walk humbly with your God” means obedience to whatever God requires, whether in worship or in behavior. Our participation in worship, in the Eucharist, enables us to live in Christ a life of justice, steadfast love and humble obedience to the Holy Mystery of God.