The Catholic Calendar for Thursday, May 19, 2005
Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Sirach 5:1-8
Psalm 1:4,6
Mark 9:41-50

A reflection on today's Scripture. . . .

"And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out." (Mark 9:47)

The current religious climate is often cold towards Christ's teachings. A case in point is today's Gospel in which Jesus speaks of the serious consequences of sin, a theme repeatedly ignored by some of today's clergy and theologians. It appears that they fear alienating those espoused to secular morality, so they placate their flocks by stressing that God's love is all-forgiving. They are of the opinion that they must not risk bruising anyone's tender self-image. However, telling their members that God's love cancels their sin is only half true. Sin is lovingly forgiven if the sinner acknowledges his wrong-doing, thinking or speaking, is truly repentant and firmly resolved to reform his behavior.

Jesus surely did not advocate self-mutilation. He tells us that figuratively speaking we must put to death those members of our bodies that prompt us to sin. Christ calls His followers to "die to self," embrace His cross by denying themselves behavior toward others that "flies in the face" of God's law of love. Genuine Christians are to see all people as God's children whose rights they are to respect, never harming nor maligning them. Christ's remedy to bad behavior is to "be salted with the Holy Spirit," He who gives us both the will and the power to love all people as God loves them. Recall that God loved us sinners so much that He sent His Son to pay the price of death we deserved. Faith in Christ does save us; but genuine faith requires obedience to God's Word, Jesus Christ.

Father of all truth and love,
pour out Your Spirit upon this earth;
make our hearts receptive to Him who reforms our lives
to resemble that of Your holy Son.
Amen

- Marie Bocko, OCDS
(mlbocko at earthlink dot net)

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