Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 356
Reading 1
2 Timothy 2:8-15
Beloved:
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David:
such is my Gospel, for which I am suffering,
even to the point of chains, like a criminal.
But the word of God is not chained.
Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen,
so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus,
together with eternal glory.
This saying is trustworthy:
If we have died with him
we shall also live with him;
if we persevere
we shall also reign with him.
But if we deny him
he will deny us.
If we are unfaithful
he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny himself.
Remind people of these things
and charge them before God to stop disputing about words.
This serves no useful purpose since it harms those who listen.
Be eager to present yourself as acceptable to God,
a workman who causes no disgrace,
imparting the word of truth without deviation.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 25:4-5ab, 8-9, 10 and 14
R. (4) Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy
toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,
and his covenant, for their instruction.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Alleluia
See 2 Timothy 1:10
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mark 12:28-34
One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
"Which is the first of all the commandments?"
Jesus replied, "The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbour as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these."
The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
He is One and there is no other than he.
And to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God."
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
The Gift of Understanding
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And no one dared to ask him any more questions. Mark 12:34
Finally, we have the witness of one of the religious leaders, a scribe, who got it right. The passage above is the conclusion of the interaction with this scribe who asks Jesus which of all the commandments is the first and greatest. Jesus gives the twofold answer that we are to love God above all, with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves. The scribe then responds to Jesus’ answer by saying, “Well said, teacher. You are right…” And then Jesus compliments this scribe with the quoted passage above.
Recall that almost all of the Pharisees were continually rebuked by Jesus because of their self-righteous arrogance. The Sadducees were also chastised but often to a lesser degree. And now we have a scribe who outshines them all. The scribes were primarily functionaries who copied or created various liturgical and legal documents. Some of the Pharisees were also scribes. And most of the time, when Jeus condemned the Pharisees, He also condemned the scribes. But this scribe is different. This scribe appears to not only be interested in Jesus’ answer but also manifests “understanding” of what Jesus said to him. Don’t underestimate the importance of this gift of understanding.
In order to truly understand that which our Lord speaks to us, we must be open. And openness requires humility. Humility is a virtue that is contrary to a “know-it-all” attitude. It’s a disposition of mind and heart that listens to God speak, hears what He says, comprehends all truth by the gift of grace, and prayerfully submits to that truth. Humility enables us to look beyond ourselves for the answers to the most difficult questions in life. It enables us to turn to the one and only source of truth, Jesus Christ Himself. And the fruit of this humble openness is the gift of understanding. It’s an understanding of the mysteries of life which is beyond our natural intellectual capacity. The grace of God is able to teach and form the humble soul and fill it with clarity of vision and an acceptance of the deepest truths.
Reflect, today, upon Jesus’ words to this scribe. “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” Does Jesus also speak these words to you? Have you humbly sought out the answers to the many questions of life by turning to our Lord? More specifically, are you able to look at your life and rejoice in the fact that God has also given you His gift of understanding? If not, then look within and consider which questions you most need to bring to Jesus. Place them before Him and then listen, be open and be ready to respond when He speaks. Hearing and responding to our Lord will result in our Lord saying these same words to you.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
A WORD IN EDGEWISE
“Keep reminding people of these things and charge them before God to stop disputing about mere words. This does no good and can be the ruin of those who listen.” —2 Timothy 2:14
Many of us fight about words a lot. We fight about translations of the Bible, “inclusive language,” the wording of prayers, propaganda from so-called pro-choice supporters, and other attempts at verbal manipulation in the media. Some of this fighting about words is godly because we are fighting about the truth (see Sir 4:28) and not just about words. But some of this fighting is “worldly, idle talk” (2 Tm 2:16). We must avoid this at all cost, for “those who indulge in it become more and more godless, and the influence of their talk will spread like the plague” (2 Tm 2:16-17).
Words are much more powerful than many people realize. So-called “idle conversation” is not merely idle; it is dangerous and potentially destructive. Jesus stated: “I assure you, on judgment day people will be held accountable for every unguarded word they speak. By your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” (Mt 12:36-37). Because words can be so powerful, “if a person is without fault in speech he is a man in the fullest sense, because he can control his entire body” (Jas 3:2).
“Where words are many, sin is not wanting; but he who restrains his lips does well” (Prv 10:19). So let us “hope in silence” (Lam 3:26), be “slow to speak” (Jas 1:19), and, when called by God, speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15).
Prayer: Father, be Lord of my words. Teach me “what to say and how to speak” (Jn 12:49).
Promise: “Jesus approved the insight of this answer and told him, ‘You are not far from the reign of God.’ ” —Mk 12:34
Praise: After St. Norbert gave his life to Jesus, he sold all of his estates and possessions, gave the money to the poor, and traveled barefoot to make his Confession to the pope himself.
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
The call to love is the common element in the two commandments that Jesus proffers. The difference lies in the object of that love. The first commandment reminds us to love God above everything. Our love of God is always a response to God’s love for us. The more we give of ourselves to God, the more we will love Him. And the second commandment, “love of neighbour’’ flows from our love for God. The journey in love to God leads us to the other; in loving God we are caught up in God’s love for others. When we live by these two commandments of love, we are on the cusp of the kingdom of God that Jesus came to establish here on Earth.
Prayers
My Lord of all Truth, You look upon the humble souls with graciousness and mercy, and You reveal to them the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. Please give me the gift of humility, dear Lord, so that I may always turn to You with every question in life. Fill me with the gift of understanding so that I may know how to love and serve You more faithfully each and every day. Jesus, I trust in You.
We love you, O our God; and we desire to love you more and more. Grant to us that we may love you as much as we desire, and as much as we ought. O dearest friend, who has so loved and saved us, the thought of whom is so sweet and always growing sweeter, come with Christ and dwell in our hearts; that you keep a watch over our lips, our steps, our deeds, and we shall not need to be anxious either for our souls or our bodies. Give us love, sweetest of all gifts, which knows no enemy. Give us in our hearts pure love, born of your love to us, that we may love others as you love us. O most loving Father of Jesus Christ, from whom flows all love, let our hearts, frozen in sin, cold to you and cold to others, be warmed by this divine fire. So help and bless us in your Son. (Prayer of Anselm, 1033-1109)
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 157: Moral Decision Making
Do you ever struggle with making the right moral decision? This happens as a result of our fallen human nature. We are easily confused in life and can easily fail to grasp the Mind and Will of God. So what should you do? Know that your conscience is a sanctuary to which the Lord must be invited. When invited, He will come and dwell there to teach you all things. When facing decisions in life, pray, seek counsel from others, and seek the many truths revealed through Scripture and our Church. These are all sources of the Mercy of God. Afterwards, if you have truly sought the Lord and His holy Will, act as your conscience commands. Listen to it, trust it, and act on it. If in the future you see that you have erred, do not hesitate to change. But do not hesitate to move forward in the way that you hear our Lord directing you. He is a God of abundant Mercy and the pure and holy intention you have gives much joy to His Heart (See Diary #800).
Do you struggle with making decisions in life? Do you worry that you are offending our Lord? If so, let go of these worries for they may be the result of a scrupulous conscience. Instead, do your due diligence by seeking the reasonable advice of others whom you trust, seek guidance from the Scriptures and from our Church, pray and abandon yourself to God and His holy Will, and then trust your conscience and act. Think about that decision that you may struggle with right now. Work through this process and leave the rest to our merciful Lord.
Lord, help me to seek Your holy Will in all things, to come to know Your holy Will and to act on it with full confidence. Give me, also, the grace of humility to change when I see that I have erred. Bless me, dear Lord, with a clean conscience so that I may glorify You always in freedom and love. Jesus, I trust in You.
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