Here is the difference between the joys of the world and the cross of Jesus Christ: after having tasted the first, one is disgusted with them; and on the contrary, the more one partakes of the cross, the greater the thirst for it.
- St. John of the Cross
TODAY'S READINGS
THURSDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Lectionary: 344
Jas 5:1-6
Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries.
Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten,
your gold and silver have corroded,
and that corrosion will be a testimony against you;
it will devour your flesh like a fire.
You have stored up treasure for the last days.
Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers
who harvested your fields are crying aloud;
and the cries of the harvesters
have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure;
you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.
You have condemned;
you have murdered the righteous one;
he offers you no resistance.
Responsorial Psalm 49:14-15ab, 15cd-16, 17-18, 19-20
R. (Matthew 5:3) Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
This is the way of those whose trust is folly,
the end of those contented with their lot:
Like sheep they are herded into the nether world;
death is their shepherd and the upright rule over them.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Quickly their form is consumed;
the nether world is their palace.
But God will redeem me
from the power of the nether world by receiving me.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Fear not when a man grows rich,
when the wealth of his house becomes great,
For when he dies, he shall take none of it;
his wealth shall not follow him down.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Though in his lifetime he counted himself blessed,
“They will praise you for doing well for yourself,”
He shall join the circle of his forebears
who shall never more see light.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Alleluia 1 Thes 2:13
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Receive the word of God, not as the word of men,
but as it truly is, the word of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Mk 9:41-50
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.
“Everyone will be salted with fire.
Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid,
with what will you restore its flavor?
Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.”
**********************************
WHAT'S CAUSING YOU TO SIN? CUT IT OUT!
Our first reading today speaks to the rich, but even if we're financially poor, we probably have the same materialistic attitudes. Shopping malls today are designed to attract customers by appealing to our wish for wealth. Their marble floors and high ceilings and palatial architecture and indoor gardens cater to our commoner's wish to feel like royalty.
In today's Gospel reading, Jesus warns us that it's very dangerous to cater to the desires of our flesh-nature. Notice that he does not say we're destroyed by the things of this world -- we are destroyed by wrongly using or responding to the things of this world. He puts the blame squarely on our hands, our feet, our eyes -- not on what we hold, where we go, or what we see.
"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off!" Our hands can bless others with loving touches or they can slap. They can hold the Blessed Eucharist in adoration or they can grab it as we rush out of the door to continue a very worldly life.
"If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off!" Our feet can take us to those extra events at church (daily Mass, parish missions, holy days of obligation, ministry meetings, etc.) or they can take us to bars and parties where we contribute to sinful jokes, drinking and lustful affairs.
"If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out!" Our eyes can lead us into a state of meditation as we admire a beautiful statue of the Blessed Mother or they can mentally "undress" a sexy-looking body. They can behold the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist or they can watch immoral TV shows.
Jesus says, "Cut it out!"
Jesus also says, "Everyone will be salted with fire." Salt is a purifier. Salt gets rid of the bacteria that cause food to spoil. But what's the "fire" that will salt us? The Holy Spirit!
We can get rid of the sinfulness that spoils our lives by letting the Holy Spirit consume us like a fire consuming a candle. Every morning, give God your hands, your feet, your eyes -- give him everything that might cause you to sin. Jesus is saying, "Keep the salt of my love in your hearts and you will be at peace with one another."
We don't need to go to the mall to feel like royalty. As we are purified by the fire of the Holy Spirit, we become who we really are: royal princes and princesses of the Great King of the Universe!
Today's Prayer
Thank You, Lord, because Your Spirit purifies me, empowers me and gives me the strength I need to let go of everything that takes me away from You. Amen.
------------------------------
The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”
No comments:
Post a Comment