Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop
Lectionary: 491
Reading 1
Titus 1:1-9
Paul, a slave of God and Apostle of Jesus Christ
for the sake of the faith of God's chosen ones
and the recognition of religious truth,
in the hope of eternal life
that God, who does not lie, promised before time began,
who indeed at the proper time revealed his word
in the proclamation with which I was entrusted
by the command of God our savior,
to Titus, my true child in our common faith:
grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior.
For this reason I left you in Crete
so that you might set right what remains to be done
and appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you,
on condition that a man be blameless,
married only once, with believing children
who are not accused of licentiousness or rebellious.
For a bishop as God's steward must be blameless, not arrogant,
not irritable, not a drunkard, not aggressive,
not greedy for sordid gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness,
temperate, just, holy, and self-controlled,
holding fast to the true message as taught
so that he will be able both to exhort with sound doctrine
and to refute opponents.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 24:1b-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Alleluia
Philippians 2:15d, 16a
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Shine like lights in the world,
as you hold on to the word of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Luke 17:1-6
Jesus said to his disciples,
"Things that cause sin will inevitably occur,
but woe to the one through whom they occur.
It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck
and he be thrown into the sea
than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
Be on your guard!
If your brother sins, rebuke him;
and if he repents, forgive him.
And if he wrongs you seven times in one day
and returns to you seven times saying, 'I am sorry,'
you should forgive him."
And the Apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.”
Reflections 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Loving Every Sinner
Jesus said to his disciples, “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the one through whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.” Luke 17:1–2
Having a millstone placed around your neck and thrown into the sea is very descriptive. Jesus is using very evocative language. A millstone was a large round stone with a hole in the center. If it were placed around someone’s neck and they were thrown into the sea, they would obviously sink to the bottom and die. Thus, Jesus is clearly stating that this awful fate is actually better than the fate of those who cause “one of these little ones to sin.”
First of all, it should be clarified that no one can actually cause us to sin. Sin is our own free choice, and we, and we alone, will be held accountable for our own sin. One thing that Jesus is pointing out here is that even though every person must take responsibility for their own actions and their own sins, we must also take responsibility for the ways that we act as tempters of others. We are all sinners. Therefore, by our sin, we will all tempt others to sin also. Sometimes we will tempt people to sin by provoking them to anger. At other times we will tempt others to sin by setting a poor example. And on the contrary, we also have the ability to “tempt” people to virtue. Or more properly speaking, to inspire and encourage them.
With that said, Jesus explains that the fate of those who act as tempters of others, especially the “little ones,” will suffer consequences graver than an untimely death. The little ones of which Jesus speaks should be understood as those who are weak in faith, overly sensitive, particularly vulnerable at that time in their life, and susceptible to outside influence. This could be a child, or it could be someone who is currently teetering on the edge of despair, confusion, anger, or any serious sin. When you encounter people like this, how do you treat them? Jesus has a deep heart of compassion for these people and wants us to have the same depth of compassion. But sometimes we fail. We may be negligent in our duty to reach out to them. Even this negligence could be a form of causing “one of these little ones to sin.” Of course, it is even far worse if we were to actively agitate them, harshly judge them, provoke their anger, draw them into some sin of weakness and false consolation by our temptation, etc. The simple truth is that Jesus loves those who are weak, vulnerable and sinful, and He wants us to love them with His heart. When we fail to do so, Jesus will hold us accountable for their further fall from grace.
Reflect, today, upon the person or persons in your life that appear especially vulnerable, sinful, confused and lost at this time. Who is it that struggles with anger, or an addiction or some sinful lifestyle? Ponder your attitude toward them. Are you judgmental, condemning, belittling and the like? Do you tempt them to fall further into any sins of weakness they commit in a vulnerable state, thus leading them into further sin? Or, when you encounter someone who is greatly struggling, do you turn to them with the deepest compassion and mercy, forgiving any ways that they may sin against you, and work hard only to be there for them in their need, no matter how hard it is on you? Commit yourself to a profound love of all of God’s “little ones” and seek to serve them with the heart of Christ so that one day they will eternally rejoice with you in Heaven.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
UNSHAKABLE FAITH
“Increase our faith.” —Luke 17:5
Each of us lives by some measure of faith every day. We believe in the law of gravity. We have faith that the sun will rise each morning and set each night. When we set out on a journey, we have faith that the road will be solid and the bridges will not collapse. In many ways each day, we have faith that the world as we know it will continue operating as it has been. Yet “the world as we know it is passing away” (1 Cor 7:31).
God does not pass away, however, nor does His Word (Mt 5:18). God is reliable, rock-solid (Ps 18:3; 62:7-8). God’s love endures forever (Ps 136:1ff), even though this world will not. God will never forsake us (Heb 13:5). Though the mountains fall and the hills crumble, the love of the Lord stands firm (Is 54:10).
Jesus asked His apostles: “Does it shake your faith?” (Jn 6:61) Your faith won’t be shaken if it is based on the person of Jesus and His words, which are “spirit and life” (Jn 6:63).
God does test our faith by shaking things up (see Heb 12:26). His Word says that “shaken, created things will pass away, so that only what is unshaken may remain. Wherefore, we who are receiving the unshakable kingdom should hold fast to God’s grace” (Heb 12:27-28), through our unshakable faith. Beg Jesus to increase your faith, for “all depends on faith” (Rm 4:16).
Prayer: Father, help me to be “among those who have faith and live” (Heb 10:39).
Promise: “The Lord’s are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it.” —Ps 24:1
Praise: St. Martin responded to Jesus’ love by being imprisoned for his conscientious objection to military service.
Reflection 3
By Fr. Martin Hogan
The disciples in today’s gospel reading seem to be concerned about how much faith they had. They turned to Jesus and asked for more faith, ‘Increase our faith’. However, Jesus did not respond to their request as they might have expected. He did not say to them, ‘Yes, your faith is weak, I will give you more’. Instead he stressed to them the power of a faith that is no bigger than that of a mustard seed, the smallest of all the seeds. In other words, when it comes to faith, the issue is not one of quantity. Jesus suggests that even the tiniest level of faith is enough for God. God can touch our lives through even the tiniest of openings that we make. The prayer of the disciples in today’s gospel reading is one we find easy to identify with. We can sometimes feel vaguely dissatisfied about our faith, and wonder about the state of our relationship with God. We might even describe ourselves as hanging on by a thread. The thread may be all that the Lord needs to continue relating to us. At the end of the day, faith as small as a mustard seed is all that God needs.
Prayers
My most compassionate Lord, You love the sinner and deeply desire that they turn to You in their need. Please give me Your heart of compassion so that I will be free to love them as You love them. May I never become an instrument of temptation for them to fall further away from You but, instead, become an instrument of Your unfailing mercy. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, you give us victory over the destructive forces of sin and harmful desires that keep us from doing your will. Give me the strength to always choose what is good and to reject what is wrong. May your love and truth rule my heart that I may give good example to others and guide those who need your wise instruction and help.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 315: Mercy, Mercy and More Mercy
Do you tire of speaking of the Mercy of God? Do you find that it becomes repetitive and unimpressive? If so, speak of Mercy all the more and ponder it with new zeal. You must never tire of the Mercy of God. The Mercy of God is so great and abundant that, in Heaven, you will see clearly how vast and wide it is. You will comprehend that it is incomprehensible and will never tire of contemplating its beauty. On Earth, you may find yourself tempted to dismiss Mercy as impractical and unimportant. It may be perceived as something old and outdated. When this happens, be reminded that this is foolishness and irrational. Understanding God’s Mercy must become your daily goal and daily mission. You must seek it day and night and never relent in your pursuit of this unending and unfathomable gift of God (See Diary #1521).
Ponder, today, these three simple words: Lord, have Mercy. Say them often and intentionally. Remind yourself that if you grow weary thinking about and speaking about the Mercy of God then you are failing to understand its depth and beauty. God’s Mercy must engage your mind and will so forcefully that it is ever present and ever new. Its newness, especially, will help to keep you engaged in this gift and it will enable you to continually probe its depths. Lord, have Mercy, Christ, have Mercy, Lord, have Mercy. Say this over and over and realize that you can never exhaust this glorious mystery of love.
Lord, you are never changing but always new. Help me to never tire of the simple yet profound truth of your Divine Mercy. Help me to always see the beauty and splendor of Your Divine Love. I do love You, dear Lord, and I pray that I may love You more every day. Lord, have Mercy on me. Christ, have Mercy on me. Lord, have mercy on me. Your Mercy, Lord, is great and glorious. Jesus, I trust in You.
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