FIRST READING
The wages of the labourers, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries have reached the ears of the Lord. ”
A reading from the Letter of Saint James (James 5:1-6)
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure for the last days. Behold, the wages of the labourers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have killed the righteous man; he does not resist you.
The word of the Lord
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 49:14-15c. 15d-16, 17-18, 19-20 (R/. Matthew 5:3)
R/. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
This is the way of the foolish,
the outcome of those pleased with their lot:
like sheep they are driven to the grave,
where death shall become their shepherd,
And the upright shall have dominion. R/.
Their outward show wastes away with the morning,
and the grave becomes their home.
But God will ransom my soul from the grasp of hell;
for he indeed will receive me. R/.
R/. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Then do not fear when a man grows rich,
when the glory of his house increases.
He takes nothing with him when he dies,
his glory does not follow him below. R/.
Though he flattered himself while he lived,
“People will praise me for all my success,”
yet he will go to join his forebears,
and will never see the light any more. R/.
ALLELUIA Thessalonians 2: 13
Alleluia. Accept the word of God, not as the word of men, but as what it really is, the word of God. Alleluia
GOSPEL
“It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 9.41-50)
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward. “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung round his neck and he were thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. For every one will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
The Gospel of the Lord
TODAY’S REFLECTION
The word ‘conversion’ simply means the act or process of changing. But for us to truly be converted, we must be wary of the desires of the heart that disconnect us from God. When Jesus enjoined us to remove our eyes, hands and foot if they are causing us to sin, he is definitely not calling us literarily to remove those parts of the body. We have to be ready to disciple ourselves such a way that our whole body is completely attuned to him. We must ensure that we do not delay our conversion as procrastination is a thief of time. Let us always remember that nothing must separate us from the love of God made known to us in Christ Jesus.