Sirach
Chapter 18
He who lives forever created all without exception.
The Lord alone will be found righteous.
…
He has made no one powerful enough to proclaim his works; so, who then will reveal his marvels?
Who can measure the extent of his majesty and describe his great goodness?
Nothing can be added to him or taken away; no one can understand the wonders of the Lord.
When man thinks he has finished, he is only just beginning, and when he stops, he is puzzled by it all.
What is man? What is his purpose? What is good in him, and what is bad?
Consider the length of his life: a hundred years is long.
Like a drop of water from the sea or a grain of sand, such are his few years compared to eternity.
For this reason, the Lord is patient with them and pours out his mercy.
He sees how miserable their end is and overflows with forgiveness.
Man’s mercy may be for his neighbor, but the Lord’s compassion extends to all people; he rebukes, corrects, teaches, and guides his flock like a shepherd.
He takes pity on those who accept correction and earnestly seek his guidance.
Give With Love
My son, do not mix your favors with unkind remarks or your gifts with bitter words.
Does not dew temper the heat? So, too, a kind word is much better than a gift.
The gift is not as valuable as the words that accompany it, but a generous man provides both.
The fool intends to please but insults; a grudging man’s gift makes the eyes bright.
Be Prepared
Find out the facts before you speak; take care of yourself before you get sick.
Examine yourself before judgment comes, and on the day of God’s visitation, you will be forgiven.
Humble yourself before sickness comes and show remorse for your sins.
Let nothing stop you from fulfilling your vow on time; don’t wait until it’s too late to get things in order.
Prepare yourself before praying, and avoid tempting the Lord.
Remember the justice of the last days; God will turn his face from you on the day of vengeance.
When you experience abundance, remember times of famine; when you enjoy wealth, think of poverty and suffering.
Time passes quickly from morning to evening, everything moves swiftly before the Lord.
The prudent man is cautious in all things; when sin increases, he will stay away from wrongdoing.
Every sensible person recognizes wisdom and respects those who acquire it.
Those who speak sensibly are wise, and great sayings come from them.
Self-control
Don’t let your passions control you or hold back your desires.
If you indulge your lusts, you’ll become the laughingstock of your enemies.
Avoid indulging in great luxury, or you may become impoverished by its cost.
Don’t impoverish yourself by relying on credit when you have nothing in your pocket.
Commentaries
God Understands and Forgives.
This insight by Ben Sirach, although seemingly obvious, remains essential: man is not like God; only God is great and without fault. In His power, everything was created, and everything is upheld in Him. In contrast, man is limited; his days are few, and at any moment, he can stumble and be lost entirely. God understands all this and therefore has no hesitation in welcoming and forgiving everyone who turns to Him. Now, can the same be said of man? Has man realized that he is not God?
Give With Love.
When acts of charity, known as works of mercy in traditional theology, are performed out of obligation, for the sake of appearance, or merely to seem pious, they become dishonorable and humiliating; above all, a proper sense of mercy and the standard of justice must prevail.
Be Prepared.
A practical guideline for life, helping keep things simple and prevent surprises: learn to anticipate situations, achieved through reflection and ongoing observation of reality; this also reflects wisdom.
Self-control.
A lack of self-control has very negative consequences. According to Ben Sirach, self-control is crucial for managing impulses that lead to ruin: luxury, sexual appetites, gluttony, and greed. Today, more than ever, it is essential to be mindful of living a simple life amid society’s dominant consumerist trend.