First Reading
James 1:19-27
Know this, my dear brothers and sisters:
everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger
for anger does not accomplish
the righteousness of God.
Therefore, put away all filth and evil excess
and humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you
and is able to save your souls.
Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer,
he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror.
He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets
what he looked like.
But the one who peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres,
and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts;
such a one shall be blessed in what he does.
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue
but deceives his heart, his religion is vain.
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this:
to care for orphans and widows in their affliction
and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 15:2-3a, 3ab-4ab, 5
R. (1b) Who shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord?
He who walks blamelessly and does justice;
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue.
R. Who shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord?
Who harms not his fellow man,
nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
By whom the reprobate is despised,
while he honors those who fear the LORD.
R. Who shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord?
Who lends not his money at usury
and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
shall never be disturbed.
R. Who shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord?
Gospel
Mark 8:22-26
When Jesus and his disciples arrived at Bethsaida,
people brought to him a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.
Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on the man and asked,
“Do you see anything?”
Looking up the man replied, “I see people looking like trees and walking.”
Then he laid hands on the man’s eyes a second time and he saw clearly;
his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly.
Then he sent him home and said, “Do not even go into the village.”
REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
TITLE: THE SECOND TIME AROUND
"A second time Jesus laid hands on His eyes." –Mark 8:25
Jesus took the blind man outside the village, put spittle on his eyes, "laid His hands on him, and asked, 'Can you see anything?' The man opened his eyes and said, 'I can see people but they look like walking trees!' Then a second time Jesus laid hands on his eyes, and he saw perfectly; his sight was restored and he could see everything clearly" (Mk 8:23-25).
Is your spiritual sight clouded? Jesus may have already laid His hands on you through Baptism and Confirmation, but you still may be out of touch with reality. We Christians may be even blind to being blind – having blinded ourselves by sin (Is 29:9; 1 Jn 2:11). Like the blind man in today's Gospel reading, we need Jesus to lay hands on us a second time. We need a renewal of our Baptisms and Confirmations. We need to confess our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Then our spiritual sight will be restored (Mk 8:25). We will "see everything clearly" and perfectly (Mk 8:25). We will more clearly see Jesus' will for us, and eventually see Him face to face in the eternal light of heaven (1 Cor 13:12). Come to Jesus a second time.
PRAYER: Father, I will not stay another moment in sin. I will walk in Your light (1 Jn 1:7).
PROMISE: "Looking after orphans and widows in their distress and keeping oneself unspotted by the world make for pure worship without stain before our God and Father." –Jas 1:27
PRAISE: Juanita regularly gives large amounts of money to finance the spread of the gospel.
...the word of the Lord...
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