Lectionary: 373
Reading 1
2 Kings 22:8-13; 23:1-3
The high priest Hilkiah informed the scribe Shaphan,
“I have found the book of the law in the temple of the LORD.”
Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who read it.
Then the scribe Shaphan went to the king and reported,
“Your servants have smelted down the metals available in the temple
and have consigned them to the master workmen
in the temple of the LORD.”
The scribe Shaphan also informed the king
that the priest Hilkiah had given him a book,
and then read it aloud to the king.
When the king heard the contents of the book of the law,
he tore his garments and issued this command to Hilkiah the priest,
Ahikam, son of Shaphan,
Achbor, son of Micaiah, the scribe Shaphan,
and the king’s servant Asaiah:
“Go, consult the LORD for me, for the people, for all Judah,
about the stipulations of this book that has been found,
for the anger of the LORD has been set furiously ablaze against us,
because our fathers did not obey the stipulations of this book,
nor fulfill our written obligations.”
The king then had all the elders of Judah
and of Jerusalem summoned together before him.
The king went up to the temple of the LORD with all the men of Judah
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem:
priests, prophets, and all the people, small and great.
He had the entire contents of the book of the covenant
that had been found in the temple of the LORD, read out to them.
Standing by the column, the king made a covenant before the LORD
that they would follow him
and observe his ordinances, statutes and decrees
with their whole hearts and souls,
thus reviving the terms of the covenant
which were written in this book.
And all the people stood as participants in the covenant.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 119:33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 40
R. (33a) Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.
Instruct me, O LORD, in the way of your statutes,
that I may exactly observe them.
R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.
Give me discernment, that I may observe your law
and keep it with all my heart.
R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.
Lead me in the path of your commands,
for in it I delight.
R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.
Incline my heart to your decrees
and not to gain.
R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.
Turn away my eyes from seeing what is vain:
by your way give me life.
R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.
Behold, I long for your precepts;
in your justice give me life.
R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.
Gospel
Matthew 7:15-20
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing,
but underneath are ravenous wolves.
By their fruits you will know them.
Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Just so, every good tree bears good fruit,
and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down
and thrown into the fire.
So by their fruits you will know them.”
REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: RAISING YOUR "RENT"
"When the king had heard the contents of the book of the law, he tore his garments." –2 Kings 22:11
When King Josiah heard the book of the law read, he rent his garments. Josiah knew that God's people were accountable to obey God's Word whether they cared enough to know it or not. He also knew that God's people were not obeying God's Word and thereby were under condemnation (2 Kgs 22:13). Thus, in deep sorrow for sin and in dread of punishment, Josiah rent his garments.
The prophetess Huldah prophesied regarding Josiah and his rending of his garments: "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: As for the threats you have heard, because you were heartsick and have humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard My threats that this place and its inhabitants would become a desolation and a curse; because you tore your garments and wept before Me; I in turn have listened, says the Lord" (2 Kgs 22:18-19). Josiah was forgiven his disobedience of God's Word, and he was also spared seeing the punishing of God's people (2 Kgs 22:20).
We too have disobeyed God's Word, and therefore we have "a fearful expectation of judgment and a flaming fire to consume the adversaries of God" (Heb 10:27). "Yet even now, says the Lord, return to Me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God. For gracious and merciful is He, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment" (Jl 2:12-13). "Rend your hearts!" (Jl 2:13)
PRAYER: Father, send the Holy Spirit to convict me of sin (Jn 16:8).
PROMISE: "You will know them by their deeds." –Mt 7:16
PRAISE: Simon, an agnostic, went to Linda's church in hopes of getting a date with her. To his surprise, the pastor's preaching touched him so deeply that he became a Catholic. He also married Linda.
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