1st READING
Sometimes, our vision of Mary is too sanitized. We have an unreal perception of her life. She had a life of tremendous difficulty and struggle— pregnant out of wedlock; fleeing the murderous intent of Herod; and watching her Son suffer and die on the cross. I do not envy her. Yet Mary perseveres with her faith and trust in God intact.
1 Corinthians 10:14-22
14 My beloved ones, avoid idolatry. 15 I am speaking as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I am saying. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the Blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the Body of Christ? 17 Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one Body, for we all partake of the one loaf. 18 Look at Israel according to the flesh; are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19 So what am I saying? That meat sacrificed to idols is anything? Or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I mean that what they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to become participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and also the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons. 22 Or are we provoking the Lord to jealous anger? Are we stronger than he is?”
PSALM
Psalm 116:12-13, 17-18
R: To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
12 How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me? 13 The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the Lord. (R) 17 To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving, and I will call upon the name of the Lord. 18 My vows to the Lord I will pay in the presence of all his people. (R)
GOSPEL
Ministries in the Church tend to be fly-by-night affairs—here today and gone tomorrow. Why? First, the ministry is built around a personality; and when the person moves on, the ministry dies. Second, the ministry is not built on a solid foundation of discipleship. If we want a ministry to endure the test of time, it has to be built well on the foundation of deep conversion and discipleship of its members. If the ministry is shallow and weak, it will fold up at the first sign of testing.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him.
Luke 6:43-49
43 Jesus said to his disciples: “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. 45 A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. 46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command? 47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. 48 That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. 49 But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”
Reflect: “Ministries come and go but the Mission of the Church remains constant.” – Francis Cardinal George, oMI
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T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST
thank You, Lord, for:
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Read the Bible in one year - Psalms 91-95
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