Reading 1
1 cor 9:16-19, 22b-27
Brothers and sisters:
If I preach the Gospel, this is no reason for me to boast,
for an obligation has been imposed on me,
and woe to me if I do not preach it!
If I do so willingly, I have a recompense,
but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.
What then is my recompense?
That, when I preach, I offer the Gospel free of charge
so as not to make full use of my right in the Gospel.
Although I am free in regard to all,
I have made myself a slave to all
so as to win over as many as possible.
I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
All this I do for the sake of the Gospel,
so that I too may have a share in it.
Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race,
but only one wins the prize?
Run so as to win.
Every athlete exercises discipline in every way.
They do it to win a perishable crown,
but we an imperishable one.
Thus I do not run aimlessly;
I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing.
No, I drive my body and train it,
for fear that, after having preached to others,
I myself should be disqualified.
Responsorial Psalm
ps 84:3, 4, 5-6, 12
R. (2) How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
My soul yearns and pines
for the courts of the LORD.
My heart and my flesh
cry out for the living God.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest
in which she puts her young—
Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my king and my God!
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
Blessed they who dwell in your house!
continually they praise you.
Blessed the men whose strength you are!
their hearts are set upon the pilgrimage.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
For a sun and a shield is the LORD God;
grace and glory he bestows;
The LORD withholds no good thing
from those who walk in sincerity.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
Gospel
lk 6:39-42
Jesus told his disciples a parable:
“Can a blind person guide a blind person?
Will not both fall into a pit?
No disciple is superior to the teacher;
but when fully trained,
every disciple will be like his teacher.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye,
but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?
How can you say to your brother,
‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’
when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye?
You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first;
then you will see clearly
to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.”
REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: BLIND AS A BAT IN HELL
"Can a blind man act as guide to a blind man? Will they not both fall into a ditch?" –Luke 6:39
Because we all have inherited a nature fallen due to sin, we all have been or are partially blind spiritually. This applies to Christian leaders as well; therefore, the spiritually blind frequently lead the spiritually blind. Before our redemption by Christ, there was no other possibility. Before Christ, we were doomed to fall into the ditch of slavery, self-hatred, damnation, and hell. Before Christ, we were doomed to lead even the people we most love into the ditch of terrifying, everlasting self-destruction.
Jesus has saved us from spiritual blindness, from the ditch of hell, and from destroying forever even those we love. Because of what Jesus has done for us, we should:
thank Him always (1 Thes 5:18; Eph 5:20),accept His grace to overcome all temptations to sin and thereby never return to blindness,preach the gospel (1 Cor 9:16),make ourselves the slaves "of all so as to win over as many as possible" (1 Cor 9:19),do all that we "do for the sake of the gospel" (1 Cor 9:23), anddiscipline our bodies and master them so that we will persevere in the faith (1 Cor 9:27) and reach even the hardest hearts.
Jesus has saved us from a fate far worse than death. Thank You, Jesus!
PRAYER: Father, I will share my faith because people's everlasting life depends on it.
PROMISE: "Remove the plank from your own eye first; then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother's eye." –Lk 6:42
PRAISE: Praise You, Holy Spirit, for overshadowing Mary, Your Spouse (Lk 1:35). "Nothing is impossible with" You (Lk 1:37).
Be an inspiration, kindly Share.
No comments:
Post a Comment