Reading 1
Sir 35:1-12
To keep the law is a great oblation,
and he who observes the
commandments sacrifices a peace offering.
In works of charity one offers fine flour,
and when he gives alms he presents his sacrifice of praise.
To refrain from evil pleases the LORD,
and to avoid injustice is an atonement.
Appear not before the LORD empty-handed,
for all that you offer is in fulfillment of the precepts.
The just one’s offering enriches the altar
and rises as a sweet odor before the Most High.
The just one’s sacrifice is most pleasing,
nor will it ever be forgotten.
In a generous spirit pay homage to the LORD,
be not sparing of freewill gifts.
With each contribution show a cheerful countenance,
and pay your tithes in a spirit of joy.
Give to the Most High as he has given to you,
generously, according to your means.
For the LORD is one who always repays,
and he will give back to you sevenfold.
But offer no bribes, these he does not accept!
Trust not in sacrifice of the fruits of extortion.
For he is a God of justice,
who knows no favorites.
Ps 50:5-6, 7-8, 14 and 23
Responsorial PsalmR. (23b)
To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Gather my faithful ones before me,
those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim his justice;
for God himself is the judge.
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Hear, my people, and I will speak;
Israel, I will testify against you;
God, your God, am I.
Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Offer to God praise as your sacrifice
and fulfill your vows to the Most High.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
Gospel
Mk 10:28-31
Peter began to say to Jesus,
‘We have given up everything and followed you.”
Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.
But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
Meditation: 1 Sirach 35:1-12
“The just man’s sacrifice is most pleasing.” (Sirach 35:6)
Say the word sacrifice today, and people immediately think about “doing without” something. If you were to say it to a Jew in Old Testament times, he would probably think about the animals offered up in the Temple, as required by the Law. Somehow, “sacrifice” and “as required” go together in our minds.
But in God’s mind, a sacrifice is meant to be a gift. It’s meant to be something offered freely, generously, even spontaneously. It could be a traditional sacrifice like alms or a fast. Or it could be words of kindness and praise or a gracious smile offered in a tense situation.
In his Letter to the Philippians, Paul thanks the believers in Philippi for their donations to help the struggling church in Jerusalem: They are “a fragrant offering,” he writes, “an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God” (Philippians 4:18). The Philippians didn’t have to reach out to help these people whom they had never met. Paul never demanded it of them. The leaders in Jerusalem didn’t try to pull rank and say they deserved the help of other churches because they were the “mother church.” Rather, the people were moved by the needs of their brothers and sisters, and they gladly gave what they could.
This is what makes our sacrifices “most pleasing” to the Lord (Sirach 35:6). No matter how large or small the offering, whether it is a sacrifice of money, time, or something else, the real issue is whether we are giving from our hearts. Whenever we sacrifice in a spirit of love and generosity, we open the door for the Holy Spirit to fill our offering with divine grace and his power. Just as our gifts of bread and wine are transformed on the altar at every Mass, so too can our gifts of love become gifts of grace to the people around us.
Isn’t it amazing? Our simple gifts—both to God and to the people around us—can become instruments of conversion, healing, and transformation. All because we are giving with loving, grateful hearts. So don’t discount the opportunities to be generous when they present themselves to you. You never know what good can come from them!
“God, you are so good and generous! Stir my heart today so that I can offer sacrifices of praise and love to you and my loved ones.”
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