Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 336
Reading 1
James 1:12-18
Blessed is he who perseveres in temptation,
for when he has been proven he will receive the crown of life
that he promised to those who love him.
No one experiencing temptation should say,
"I am being tempted by God";
for God is not subject to temptation to evil,
and he himself tempts no one.
Rather, each person is tempted when lured and enticed by his desire.
Then desire conceives and brings forth sin,
and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters:
all good giving and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.
He willed to give us birth by the word of truth
that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 94:12-13a, 14-15, 18-19
R. (12a) Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
Blessed the man whom you instruct, O LORD,
whom by your law you teach,
Giving him rest from evil days.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
For the LORD will not cast off his people,
nor abandon his inheritance;
But judgment shall again be with justice,
and all the upright of heart shall follow it.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
When I say, "My foot is slipping,"
your mercy, O LORD, sustains me;
When cares abound within me,
your comfort gladdens my soul.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
Alleluia
John 14:23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord;
and my Father will love him
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mark 8:14-21
The disciples had forgotten to bring bread,
and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
Jesus enjoined them, "Watch out,
guard against the leaven of the Pharisees
and the leaven of Herod."
They concluded among themselves that
it was because they had no bread.
When he became aware of this he said to them,
"Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?
And do you not remember,
when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,
how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?"
They answered him, "Twelve."
"When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand,
how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?"
They answered him, "Seven."
He said to them, "Do you still not understand?”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Comprehending the Mysteries of Heaven
“Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?” Mark 8:17–18
How would you answer these questions that Jesus posed to His disciples if He had posed them to you? It takes humility to admit that you do not yet understand or comprehend, that your heart is in fact hardened, and that you fail to see and hear all that God has revealed. Of course there are various levels to these struggles, so hopefully you do not struggle with them to a grave degree. But if you can humbly confess that you do struggle with these to a certain extent, then that humility and honesty will gain you much grace.
Jesus posed these questions to His disciples within the larger context of a discussion about the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod. He knew that the “leaven” of these leaders was like a yeast that corrupted others. Their dishonesty, pride, desire for honors and the like had a seriously negative affect upon the faith of others. So by posing these questions above, Jesus challenged His disciples to see this evil leaven and to reject it.
Seeds of doubt and confusion are all around us. It seems these days that almost everything the secular world promotes is in some way contrary to the Kingdom of God. And yet, just like the disciples’ inability to see the evil leaven of the Pharisees and Herod, we also frequently fail to see the evil leaven within our society. Instead, we allow the many errors to confuse us and lead us down the path of secularism.
One thing this should teach us is that just because someone has some form of authority or power within society does not mean that they are a truthful and holy leader. And though it’s never our place to judge the heart of another, we absolutely must have “ears to hear” and “eyes to see” the many errors that are held up within our world as good. We must constantly seek to “understand and comprehend” the laws of God and use them as a guide against the lies within the world. One important way to make sure we do this well is to make sure that our hearts never become hardened to the truth.
Reflect, today, upon these questions of our Lord and examine them especially within the broader context of society as a whole. Consider the false “leaven” taught by our world and by so many in positions of authority. Reject these errors and recommit yourself to the full embrace of the holy mysteries of Heaven so that those truths and those truths alone become your daily guide.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
YEAST BUT NOT LAST
“Keep your eyes open! Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees.” —Mark 8:15
Jesus warns us to be on guard not only against Satan, temptations, enemies, and persecutors, but also against yeast (of all things). When Jesus initially gave this warning, His disciples were confused. They thought He was literally speaking of yeast used to make bread (Mk 8:16). However, Jesus was speaking of “the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod” (Mk 8:15). He was speaking of the yeast of hostility against Him, hypocrisy (Lk 12:1), and false teaching (Mt 16:12). Jesus is warning us that warped and lukewarm Christianity can be contagious.
We should not respond to His warning by going in search of the perfect church. Rather, we are to respond by overcoming evil with good (Rm 12:21), fighting tepidity with fire (see Rv 3:16), and unmasking false teaching by speaking the truth in love (Eph 4:15).
There is not only a corrupting yeast but also a renewing one. Not only is the kingdom of Satan like yeast, but also “the reign of God is like yeast which a woman took and kneaded into three measures of flour. Eventually the whole mass of dough began to rise” (Mt 13:33). Not only can evil be contagious, but so can faith. Faith is not only taught but caught. If you guard against the dangers of the yeast of corruption and wickedness (1 Cor 5:8), Satan himself will be unable to stop the rising power of your yeast of renewal and holiness.
Prayer: Father, use me to raise faith in my family, parish, and neighborhood.
Promise: “He wills to bring us to birth with a word spoken in truth so that we may be a kind of first fruits of His creatures.” —Jas 1:18
Praise: Thomas rebelled against God for many years. God drew him back to Himself when Thomas heard a favorite childhood hymn.
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
Jesus began a conversation with a word of caution to his disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees which had a deeper significance in the spiritual realm. However, the disciples began to discuss about the lack of bread and thus remained on the natural plane. Not understanding the real message, they missed the point that Jesus was underlining. How often we too miss the core message! Jesus asked them if they understood. Understanding is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit which we must pray for. How often do we not understand the true meaning of the signs God sends our way? Lord Jesus, help me understand your ways and open my eyes to perceive what you show me each day.
Prayers
My glorious Lord, I thank You for being the Lord of all Truth. Help me to daily turn my eyes and ears to that Truth so that I will be able to see the evil leaven all around me. Give me wisdom and the gift of discernment, dear Lord, so that I will be able to immerse myself into the mysteries of Your holy life. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, you alone are the true bread of life which sustains us each and every day. Give me joy and strength to serve you always and help me to turn away from the leaven of sin and worldliness which brings corruption and death.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 44: The Lord’s Gaze Casts Out Fear
Do you know that our Lord gazes upon you, night and day, with perfect love and affection. Do you know that He knows every detail of your life and walks with you through everything? This may be hard to believe because we cannot hear Him audibly, see Him with our eyes, or touch Him with our hands. But His intimacy is much deeper than the physical world. His intimacy is one that looks into our soul and loves us. His gaze of love, if we let it, will cast out all fear in life (See Diary #90).
What is it that you fear the most? What is it that causes you the greatest anxiety? Today, try to identify the cause of your fear. And when you do, know that our Merciful Lord has already seen it all. He is aware of your situation and looks at you with love. The key is to look back at Jesus, to seek His face within your own soul, and to gaze back at Him with love. There, by looking intently upon our Lord, you will find the courage you need to let go of all that weighs you down and you will allow His grace to lift you on high.
Lord, help me to turn my eyes from all my fears. Help me, instead, to seek out Your loving gaze and to allow that gaze of love to cast out all that is not of You. Lord, if I could only see Your face, radiant and beautiful, living in my soul, I would be consoled and comforted in all things. Jesus, I trust in You.
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