19TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, priest & martyr
Psalter: Week 3 / (Red)
Ps 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131
How sweet to my taste is your promise!
1st Reading: Ez 2:8—3:4
Listen then, son of man, to what I say, and don’t be a rebel among rebels. Open your mouth and take in what I’m about to say.”
I looked and saw a hand stretched out in front of me holding a scroll. He unrolled it before me; on both sides were written lamentations, groaning and woes.
He said to me, “Son of man, eat what is given to you. Eat this scroll and then go; speak to the people of Israel.” I opened my mouth and he made me eat the scroll; and then he said to me, “Eat and fill yourself with this scroll that I’m giving you.” I ate it; and it tasted as sweet as honey.
He said, “Son of man, go to the Israelites; speak to them with my words.
Gospel: Mt 18:1-5, 10, 12-14
At that time, the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child, set the child in the midst of the disciples, and said, “I assure you, that, unless you change, and become like little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble, like this child, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and whoever receives such a child, in my name, receives me.
See that you do not despise any of these little ones; for I tell you, their angels in heaven continually see the face of my heavenly Father.
What do you think of this? If someone has a hundred sheep and one of them strays, won’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hillside, and go to look for the stray one? And I tell you, when he finally finds it, he is more pleased about it, than about the ninety-nine that did not go astray. It is the same with your Father in heaven. Your Father in heaven doesn’t want even one of these little ones to perish.
Reflections
Your Father in heaven doesn’t want even one of these little ones to perish
In 1941, Maximilian Kolbe was arrested by the German Gestapo, imprisoned in Pawiak then transferred to Auschiwtz where he was killed by the guards by a lethal injection of carbolic acid. It is not the manner of death that is remarkable but the circumstances that led to his execution. During his second month in Auschwitz, several inmates were chosen to be starved to death, in order to threaten those contemplating escaping from prison. Kolbe was not among those chosen but volunteered to take the place of an inmate with a family. He sacrificed his life that another may live.
Daily Reflection 2018
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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
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