Reading 1
Eph 4:7-16
Brothers and sisters:
Grace was given to each of us
according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Therefore, it says:
He ascended on high and took prisoners captive;
he gave gifts to men.
What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended
into the lower regions of the earth?
The one who descended is also the one who ascended
far above all the heavens,
that he might fill all things.
And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets,
others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
for building up the Body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of faith
and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood
to the extent of the full stature of Christ,
so that we may no longer be infants,
tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching
arising from human trickery,
from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming.
Rather, living the truth in love,
we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ,
from whom the whole Body,
joined and held together by every supporting ligament,
with the proper functioning of each part,
brings about the Body’s growth and builds itself up in love.
Ps 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5
Responsorial PsalmR. (1)
Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Gospel
Lk 13:1-9
Some people told Jesus about the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
He said to them in reply,
“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!
Or those eighteen people who were killed
when the tower at Siloam fell on them–
do you think they were more guilty
than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!”
And he told them this parable:
“There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener,
‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree
but have found none.
So cut it down.
Why should it exhaust the soil?’
He said to him in reply,
‘Sir, leave it for this year also,
and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the future.
If not you can cut it down.’”
Meditation: Ephesians 4:7-16
“Living the truth in love …” (Ephesians 4:15)
Truth and love. Could there possibly be any more praiseworthy values than these? It is ironic that in some areas of life, however, the two seem to be opposed to each other. On the one hand, you can have such a strong commitment to the truth that you forget all about love. If someone offends a precept that you hold dear, you may respond with a stern, harsh judgment with no consideration for the person involved or for the situation surrounding the offense. Truth must be upheld no matter what! On the other hand, you can place such an emphasis on love that you end up not standing for anything at all. In reality, however, that’s not really love. It’s more like lack of conviction or excessive tolerance.
So how do we keep the balance and hold to the truth while still being loving and merciful? Think of the way an orchestra performs a symphony. Every instrument has its own part to play, but because each musician is watching the conductor, the result is a beautiful, heavenly sound. However, should the lead violinist or someone in the woodwind section take his eyes off the conductor, the whole performance would be jeopardized.
In this passage, Paul also wrote how God gives different gifts to different people in the church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, and more (Ephesians 4:11). But none of these gifts exists for itself—and certainly not for the person gifted. Rather, they are all meant to work together “until we all attain to the unity of faith” (4:13).
Living the truth in love really means surrendering to Jesus, our conductor. It means allowing him to shape us so that together we can produce the kind of music that sings his praises and truly builds his church. The closer we get to the Lord, the more beautiful is the music that our lives produce. And the more beautiful our music, the more attractive it is to the world around us!
“Thank you, Lord, for the unique gifts you have for each of us. Thank you, also, for your grand plan that brings all these gifts together to build your kingdom. Come, Lord, and teach us to love each other as we celebrate your truth together!”
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