Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 344
Reading 1
James 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
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
See 1 Thessalonians 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
Mark 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.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Mercy for the Weak
“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.” Mark 9:42
St. Bede, an early Church Father, states that “he who is great, whatever he may suffer, departs not from the faith; but he who is little and weak in mind looks out for occasions of stumbling.” In other words, the “little ones” here could be understood to be those who are weak in faith and are constantly looking for reasons to depart from the faith.
Consider who might struggle with this tendency in your own life. Perhaps there is a family member who continually questions the practice of the faith, perhaps someone you know considers himself or herself a “fallen away Catholic.” According to St. Bede, these are the “little ones” of whom Jesus is speaking.
When dealing with someone who appears to lack faith, expresses doubts and disagreements, is caught in a life of manifest sin, or has begun to walk away from the practice of the faith, there can be a temptation to criticize, argue or condemn. If this is a temptation you struggle with, then listen closely to Jesus’ words: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin…” We cause those who are weak in faith to sin when we fail to show an abundance of virtue toward them during their struggles. Deep down, most people who are struggling with a life of sin or a weakness of faith do, in fact, have some faith. They do believe in God. But their faith is often easily shaken, and they can be easily pushed further away from God if we fail to exercise the necessary virtues of patience, compassion and mercy they need.
With that said, we also have to avoid offering a “compassion” that is not grounded in the truth. On this point, St. Gregory states: “If a stumbling block is laid before men in what concerns the truth, it is better to allow the offense to arise, than that the truth should be abandoned.” In other words, it is not compassionate or merciful to show support for another in their error so as to make them feel good. The truth of the Gospel must never be abandoned; instead, that truth must always be offered with the greatest of charity, especially toward those “little ones” who are weak in faith.
Reflect, today, upon the important balance that is necessary in the apostolic life. “Balance” does not mean compromise. Rather, it means that we seek to continually bring forth the full truth of the Gospel while also seeking to exercise the fullness of every virtue in the process. Do not become a stumbling block to others in the faith. Seek, instead, to lavish God’s grace and mercy upon those in your life who need it the most. If you do, then many of those little ones will one day become truly strong in the grace and truth of our loving God.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
HOW MUCH HELL?
“Like sheep they are herded into the nether world.” —Psalm 49:15
Decades ago, preachers and people in general talked about hell frequently. Today, although the word “hell” is repeatedly mentioned by those using profanity, hell is denied by many people, even Christians, or it is greatly de-emphasized. How much “hell” should we give people; that is, how often should we seriously mention hell at church and other places? This question is difficult to answer.
A possible rule of thumb is to mention hell as often as Jesus does in the Gospels. Jesus wasn’t always talking about hell. His favorite subjects were His Father, the kingdom of heaven, and the cross. Nevertheless, Jesus did not ignore or de-emphasize hell. He did not use the term “hell” but spoke of “Gehenna with its unquenchable fire” (Mk 9:43) where “the worm dies not” (Mk 9:48). Jesus also referred to “Hades,” translated “the abode of the dead” (Lk 16:23, NAB) or “the netherworld” (Lk 16:23, RNAB). In this place, people are tortured in flames (Lk 16:24). When Jesus taught about Judgment Day, He mentioned “eternal punishment” (Mt 25:46) for evildoers who have been hurled “into the fiery furnace where they will wail and grind their teeth” (Mt 13:42).
Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus (Heb 12:2) and not on hell or anything else. Nevertheless, let us be as conscious of hell as Jesus wants us to be, as indicated by His words in the Gospels.
Prayer: Father, send the Holy Spirit to give me the power to snatch people away from going to hell (see Jude 22).
Promise: “But God will redeem me from the power of the nether world by receiving me.” —Ps 49:16
Praise: In a scientific pursuit, Ralph sought answers to the mysteries of the universe. He discovered its Creator and Redeemer.
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
Jesus insists that his disciples should lead an authentic Christian life, lest they be the cause of scandal and sin. Pope Francis calls it Christian consistency and says, “In everything in life we need to think like a Christian, feel like a Christian, and act like a Christian. That’s Christian consistency.” How is it possible? Jesus gives us three hints. First of all, his disciples should try to be kind and charitable to those in need. Even a simple gesture of giving a cup of water will be considered as given to Jesus. Secondly, since his disciples are the salt of the earth they should, like salt, penetrate society in which they live and transform it by a life of love and forgiveness. Finally, their life of unity and peace will manifest their faithfulness to Christ.
Prayers
Most merciful Lord, You desire that all of Your children come to the full revelation of Your truth and mercy. Please use me as You choose to reach out to those who struggle with their faith and need to be treated with the utmost care. May I never be a stumbling block to them but always be a bridge to You and Your abundance of grace. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, fill me with the fragrance of your love and truth that I may radiate the joy and peace of the Gospel wherever I go and with whomever I meet.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 143: Trust, Trust and More Trust
Every reflection of this book ends with a prayer and each prayer ends with the prayer, “Jesus, I trust in You.” But do you? Trust is not only a one time act. It’s not something we do or do not do. It’s something we must do on a continually deepening level. There is no limit to the depths of the trust to which we are called. The deeper your trust, the more the Heart of our Divine Lord will be drawn to pour forth His Mercy. One essential aspect of growing in trust is seeing our misery and sin. When we see our sin without trust in God’s Mercy, we are left in despair. But when we see the horror of our sin and trust in His Mercy to the same extent, He enters in and transforms our souls into His holy and pure dwelling place of love (See Diary #718).
Do you trust in God and in His abundance of Mercy? If you do, you will also be aware of your sin to a great extent. Do you see your sin? Are you aware of your miserable condition? If so, do not despair; rather, see it as a graced opportunity to trust all the more in God and in His perfect love for you.
Lord, I do trust in You but I do not trust You enough. Help me, first, to be aware of my wretchedness and sin. But in seeing this miserable condition, help me to turn to You rather than to despair. May my trust never end and may it grow continually deeper so that Your Heart may be opened and so that You will pour down Your grace upon me. Jesus, I trust in You. Jesus, I trust in You. Jesus, I trust in You.
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