Reading 1
Sir 5:1-8
Rely not on your wealth;
say not: “I have the power.”
Rely not on your strength
in following the desires of your heart.
Say not: “Who can prevail against me?”
or, “Who will subdue me for my deeds?”
for God will surely exact the punishment.
Say not: “I have sinned, yet what has befallen me?”
for the Most High bides his time.
Of forgiveness be not overconfident,
adding sin upon sin.
Say not: “Great is his mercy;
my many sins he will forgive.”
For mercy and anger alike are with him;
upon the wicked alights his wrath.
Delay not your conversion to the LORD,
put it not off from day to day.
For suddenly his wrath flames forth;
at the time of vengeance you will be destroyed.
Rely not upon deceitful wrath,
for it will be no help on the day of wrath.
Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
Responsorial PsalmR. (40:5a)
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Gospel
Mk 9:41-50
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not 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 put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.
“Everyone will be salted with fire.
Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid,
with what will you restore its flavor?
Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.”
Meditation: Sirach 5:1-8
“Delay not your conversion to the Lord.” (Sirach 5:8)
Have you ever heard of a “bucket list”? It’s a list of the things you want to do before you die, before you “kick the bucket.” We all have dreams we’d like to see happen before we go to the Lord—maybe take a trip around the world or a ride in a hot air balloon.
But guess what? God has his own “bucket list” for us. He has a plan for our lives, and he wants to see us fulfill it, because he knows it’s the real key to our happiness. His plan, in fact, will make us far happier than anything we might come up with ourselves.
That’s why it’s important to heed the call to conversion in today’s passage from Sirach—and to remember that conversion is not just a one-time experience. God’s
plan isn’t just that we experience his mercy and love once or occasionally. His plan is that we become changed more and more into his likeness so that we can experience his love on a deeper and deeper level—a love that heals all our wounds, fulfills all our hopes and dreams, and quenches our thirst for the world. This is what ongoing conversion is all about.
Ongoing conversion requires that we turn to God in prayer every day so that we can grow in our relationship with him. It is only through a consistent prayer life that we can come to understand not only God’s love for us but also his desires for our lives. Prayer teaches us that God wants only good things for us. It trains us to place our trust in him and in his perfect plan.
Brothers and sisters, our heavenly Father created us. He knows what we need. He knows what will make us happy. Every day he gives us an opportunity to experience a deep, abiding friendship with him—one that will last for all eternity. Our “bucket list” may contain some wonderful dreams, but none can compare to “what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9)!
“Father, give me the grace to come to you without excuses. I want to know you, and I want to know your hopes and dreams for me.”
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