First Reading (Eccl 5,1-10).
Reading of the Book of Ecclesiasticus.
Don’t trust in your riches and don’t say: “It’s enough for me to live!” Do not let your strength lead you to follow the passions of your heart. Do not say, “Who will have power over me?” or: “Who will hold me accountable for my actions?”, for the Lord will certainly punish you. Do not say: “I have sinned, and what harm has happened to me?”, for the Most High is patient. Do not lose your fear because of forgiveness, committing sin upon sin. Do not say: “The Lord’s mercy is great, he will forgive me the multitude of my sins!”, for from him come mercy and wrath, and his wrath falls on sinners. Do not delay in returning to the Lord, and do not put it off from one day to the next, for his wrath comes suddenly and, on the day of punishment, you will be annihilated. Do not rely on unjust riches, for they will be of no use to you in the day of misfortune.
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Gospel (Mark 9,41-50).
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark.
— Glory to you, Lord.
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink, because you belong to Christ, will not go without receiving his reward. And if anyone offends one of these little ones who believe, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around your neck. If your hand leads you to sin, cut it off! It is better to enter Life without one hand, than, having both, to go to hell, to the fire that never goes out. . [44] If your foot leads you to sin, cut it off! It is better to enter Life without one of your feet, than, having both, to be thrown into hell. [46] If your eye leads you to sin, pluck it out. o! It is better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye, than, having two, to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched’. A good thing is salt. salt becomes tasteless, with what will you restore its seasoning? So have salt in yourselves and live at peace with one another.”
— Word of Salvation.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
My brothers and sisters in Christ, what a joy to be together in this moment of reflection and prayer! Today, we are invited to listen carefully to the words of Sacred Scripture, which, even though they were dictated millennia ago, continue to speak deeply to our hearts. Today’s readings, from both Wisdom and the Gospel, call us to a serious commitment to our faith and the way we live in the world.
Let’s start with an excerpt that may seem simple at first glance, but which brings us a powerful message. In the first reading, from the book of Ecclesiasticus (or Sirácida), we heard direct and clear advice: “Don’t trust in your riches, and don’t say: ‘With this I have everything I need!’.” Wisdom alerts us to the illusion of riches. What is being said here is that, although riches can be a means to meet our material needs, they should not be the center of our lives. If we place our trust in them, we risk losing sight of what is truly important: our relationship with God and with others.
Let us think, for example, of a tree full of fruit. The tree may look majestic and full of life, but if its roots are weak or rotten, the tree will fall. What sustains the tree is what is invisible, what is below the earth – its roots. Likewise, if we place our trust in riches and not in God, our life, despite seeming full and successful, is about to fall, because we are not established in that which is eternal.
The book of Ecclesiasticus teaches us not to depend on riches, but to live wisely, humbly and generously. He reminds us that, in the end, it is our faith and trust in God that sustain us, not material goods. As Jesus teaches us at other times: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be.” If our heart is fixed on the things of this world, it will be difficult to keep our eyes focused on heaven.
Now, we move on to the Gospel of Mark, which brings us an equally challenging message, but extremely relevant for our Christian walk. Jesus talks about the power of good and evil, the importance of true action and the need to eliminate anything that takes us away from God. He says, “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better to enter life without one hand than, having both, to be cast into hell.”
This passage may shock us, but it is actually a very serious and loving warning. What Jesus tells us here is that sin must be dealt with urgently. Sin is like a disease that, if left untreated, spreads and corrodes our lives. Evil, no matter how small it may seem, can separate us from God and destroy us. So, Jesus calls us to take radical action against sin – to “cut off” what causes us to sin.
Let’s reflect on this with an analogy. Imagine that we are walking towards a cliff. If one of us realized we were heading towards the precipice, what would we do? We would be wise to take a step back, wouldn’t we? It would be insane to continue walking towards the abyss, ignoring the signs. Likewise, sin, no matter how small, is a step toward the abyss of separation from God. Jesus challenges us to act with the same urgency we would have when realizing we are on the edge of a cliff: cut off everything that separates us from God, no matter how painful it may be.
The same idea is reinforced in the continuation of the Gospel, when Jesus talks about the importance of being the salt of the earth and the light of the world. “Salt is good, but if the salt becomes tasteless, what will we use to salt it? Have salt in yourselves and live at peace with one another.” Salt, in Jesus’ time, was not only a seasoning, but also a preservative. Salt preserves food and keeps it pure. Likewise, we are called to preserve purity in our lives and to be sources of goodness, peace and justice. When we live according to God’s will, our actions become like salt that preserves and illuminates the world around us.
This is a clear invitation for us to be authentic witnesses of faith, Christian morals and peace in our daily lives. How have you been salt and light in your community? What concrete actions have you taken to help those around you live with more justice, love and kindness?
Now let us look at Jesus’ words about “eternal fire” and “hell.” These are strong words and often difficult to hear, but they are not an empty threat. They are a call to repentance, an exhortation so that we can turn away from what separates us from God. Eternal fire, according to Christian tradition, is not something God desires for us, but is the result of man’s choice to remain apart from God’s love.
If we look at these passages in the light of God’s love, we can see that He does not want any of us to perish, but that all of us should have eternal life. Jesus’ invitation is not to frighten us, but to awaken us to the importance of making wise decisions, of living our faith seriously and of always being attentive to the temptations of the world.
Today’s message is clear: we must live wisely, with humility and with a radical commitment to good. We need to turn away from sin, eliminate what leads us to it, and be light in the world. The Christian life is not something we can lead superficially or negligently. We are called to live with integrity, with generosity, with true faith.
Now, let’s ask ourselves: how can we apply this to our daily lives? The answer lies in our attitude. If we know that something in our life leads us to sin, we need to “cut” it – whether it’s bad company, a sinful habit, or a selfish attitude. We need to act urgently, like someone who realizes they are on the edge of an abyss. If we want to be light and salt, we must start with the small everyday things: treating others with respect, being honest in our actions, and helping those who need our help.
But we must not do this alone. We need the grace of God, the strength of the Holy Spirit, to experience these changes. And this is why prayer is so important. When we pray, we ask God to give us the wisdom and strength to live according to His will. Prayer is our anchor, our way of connecting with God and asking for His help to be salt and light in the world.
May we, at this moment, reflect on our own lives. Where do we need to cut? Where do we need to be more light and more salt? Let’s ask God to show us and help us, so that we can live wisely, with courage and with true faith.
Lord, we ask that you grant us the grace to live according to Your will. May we be firm in our faith, cutting off everything that separates us from You and being salt and light in the world. May Your wisdom guide us and Your peace accompany us in every step we take. Amen.
