10TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 1 / (Green)
Ps 116:10-11, 15-16, 17-18
To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
1st Reading: 2 Cor 4:7-15
However, we carry this treasure in vessels of clay, so that this all surpassing power may not be seen as ours, but as God’s. Trials of every sort come to us, but we are not discouraged. We are left without answer, but do not despair; persecuted but not abandoned, knocked down but not crushed. At any moment, we carry, in our person, the death of Jesus, so, that, the life of Jesus may also be manifested in us. For we, the living, are given up continually to death, for the sake of Jesus, so, that, the life of Jesus may appear in our mortal existence. And as death is at work in us, life comes to you.
We have received the same spirit of faith referred to in Scripture, that says: I believed and so I spoke. We also believe, and so we speak. We know that he, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us, with Jesus, and bring us, with you, into his presence. Finally, everything is for your good, so that grace will come more abundantly upon you, and great will be the thanksgiving for the glory of God.
Gospel: Mt 5:27-32
You have heard that it was said: Do not commit adultery. But I tell you this: anyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent, has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
So, if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away! It is much better for you to lose a part of your body, than to have your whole body thrown into hell. If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better for you to lose a part of your body, than to have your whole body thrown into hell.
It was also said: Anyone who divorces his wife, must give her a written notice of divorce. But what I tell you is this: if a man divorces his wife, except in the case of unlawful union, he causes her to commit adultery. And the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
REFLECTION:
Sin does not start when the deed is done. It springs from a heart that entertains it and give it the space to take root and grow. That is why the gospel today points to our senses as avenues of sin. These are the entry points that knows what sensation the sin will bring and stimulates the heart to decide to commit sin and later expressed in the external forum.
And so Jesus counsels us to discipline our senses, He tells us to use it properly. The plucking of eyes and the cutting of hands that offend are metaphors to drive the point. It is better to be physically diminished than to be spiritually unwhole. And so we have the responsibility to teach our senses to appreciate the world in a positive way. This needs a lot of effort. And so a strong spiritual life and mindfulness of things are a must in disciplining the senses. We need to spend time to hone our spirit, mind and heart to avoid the pitfalls of having senses that always go awry.
Daily Reflection
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Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL
With permission from the EPISCOPAL COMMISION ON LITURGY of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
Readings and Reflections
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