First Reading (James 5:1-6)
Reading of the Letter of Saint James.
And now, you rich people, weep and groan because of the misfortunes that are about to befall you. Your wealth is rotting, and your clothes are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are rusty, and their rust will serve as a testimony against you and devour your flesh like fire! You have laid up treasures in the last days. See: the wages of the workers who mowed your fields, which you failed to pay, are crying out, and the cry of the workers has reached the ears of the Almighty Lord. You lived luxuriously on earth, given over to the good life, feeding your hearts for the day of slaughter. You condemned the righteous and murdered him; he cannot resist you.
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Gospel (Mark 9:41-43.45-56.47-50)
— PROCLAMATION of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John.
— 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 his 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. If your foot causes 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. If your eye leads you to sin, pluck it out! It is better to enter the Kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two, to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched’. For they will all be salted by fire. A good thing is salt. But if the salt becomes tasteless, how will you restore its seasoning? So be salt in yourselves and live at peace with one another.”
— Word of Salvation.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today I would like to start with a question: have you ever felt the weight of the world on your shoulders? Maybe it’s the pressure of work, financial difficulties, family challenges, or even the feeling that society pushes us into an endless race in search of more and more. In today’s gospel and the letter of James, we find a powerful message that challenges us to rethink our priorities and live in a way that truly makes a difference in the world.
Let’s imagine for a moment that we are in a city at night. Street lights guide our path, preventing us from getting lost in the darkness. Now, let us think of our lives as these lights. We are called to be a light for others, lighting the way with our acts of kindness, justice and love. This is the central message we find in today’s readings.
In the letter of James we hear a stern warning: “And now, you rich people, weep and groan because of the troubles that will befall you.” James warns us about the dangers of wealth accumulated at the expense of others, injustice and exploitation. He denounces those who grew rich through oppression, hoarding treasures while workers who deserved their wages were defrauded.
Let’s think of wealth as a golden trap. Imagine a bird being lured into a glowing cage. He enters in search of shine and the promise of something valuable, but ends up trapped, unable to fly free. So we can also be attracted by the promise of money and material goods, but end up trapped by greed, selfishness and indifference to the suffering of others.
Tiago invites us to reflect on how we use our resources. Are they tools for good, to help our brothers and sisters, or are they chains that bind us to a life of superficiality and sin?
In Mark’s gospel, Jesus offers us a series of teachings that seem harsh, but are full of wisdom. He talks about the seriousness of sin and the drastic measures we must take to avoid it. “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 better understand this passage, let’s think about a surgeon who finds a malignant tumor in a patient. Although the surgery is painful and the removal of part of the body seems extreme, it is necessary to save the patient’s life. Likewise, Jesus teaches us that we must be willing to cut out of our lives anything that leads us to sin, no matter how painful it may seem.
Throughout the gospel, Jesus repeats the importance of keeping our hearts and lives pure. He calls us to be the salt of the earth, to maintain our purity and to add flavor to the life around us. Like salt, we must preserve goodness and justice in ourselves and in the world.
Now, my brothers and sisters, let us reflect on our own lives. What areas do we need to purify? What behaviors or habits do we need to cut to get closer to God? Perhaps it is the tendency to speak ill of others, the temptation to deceive to gain an advantage, or even indifference to the needs of others.
Let’s think of a polluted river. For the water to be pure again, a cleaning process is necessary to remove all contaminants. Likewise, our hearts need to be purified through prayer, confession and a continuous effort to live according to Christ’s teachings.
So how can we apply these principles to our daily lives? First, let’s commit to using our resources fairly and generously. If we have material goods, may we share them with those who are in need. If we have talents, let us put them at the service of others.
Second, let’s do some soul searching to identify and remove anything that takes us away from God. It could be a habit, an attitude or a relationship that needs to be transformed or even abandoned.
Finally, let us be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. May our daily actions reflect the love of Christ and bring light to those around us. May we be beacons of hope in a world often marked by darkness and despair.
Let’s now have a moment of silence. Let us close our eyes and ask God for the grace to identify in our lives what needs to be changed. May the Holy Spirit guide us and give us strength to cut away everything that separates us from his love.
Lord, we thank You for today’s lessons. Help us to live according to Your will, to use our resources fairly and generously, and to cut out everything that leads us to sin. May we be light in the world, reflecting Your love in every action and word. Amen.
My brothers and sisters, as we leave here today, let us take with us the hope and determination to live as true followers of Christ. May God’s grace accompany us and may we be instruments of His peace and love in the world. Remember, we are called to be light and salt – let us shine and flavor the world with the goodness, justice and love of God. Amen.
