Reading 1
2 Cor 11:1-11
Brothers and sisters:
If only you would put up with a little foolishness from me!
Please put up with me.
For I am jealous of you with the jealousy of God,
since I betrothed you to one husband
to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning,
your thoughts may be corrupted
from a sincere and pure commitment to Christ.
For if someone comes and preaches another Jesus than the one we preached,
or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received
or a different gospel from the one you accepted,
you put up with it well enough.
For I think that I am not in any way inferior to these “superapostles.”
Even if I am untrained in speaking, I am not so in knowledge;
in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.
Did I make a mistake when I humbled myself so that you might be exalted,
because I preached the Gospel of God to you without charge?
I plundered other churches by accepting from them
in order to minister to you.
And when I was with you and in need, I did not burden anyone,
for the brothers who came from Macedonia
supplied my needs.
So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way.
By the truth of Christ in me,
this boast of mine shall not be silenced
in the regions of Achaia.
And why? Because I do not love you?
God knows I do!
111:1b-2, 3-4, 7-8
Responsorial PsalmR. (7a)
Your works, O Lord, are justice and truth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
R. Your works, O Lord, are justice and truth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Majesty and glory are his work,
and his justice endures forever.
He has won renown for his wondrous deeds;
gracious and merciful is the LORD.
R. Your works, O Lord, are justice and truth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
sure are all his precepts,
Reliable forever and ever,
wrought in truth and equity.
R. Your works, O Lord, are justice and truth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Mt 6:7-15
Jesus said to his disciples:
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
“This is how you are to pray:
‘Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.’
“If you forgive others their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive others,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”
Meditation: 2 Corinthians 11:1-11
“I am afraid that … your thoughts may be corrupted from a sincere and pure commitment to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:3)
Paul was afraid that the Corinthians’ faith—their conviction about Jesus and his salvation—was being watered down by his opponents. By calling into question Paul’s integrity, these opponents also cast doubt on his message. And by casting doubt on Paul’s message, they were chipping away at his call for purity, honesty, and righteousness.
Not much has changed, has it? Let’s face it. It’s hard to live the Christian life! Not only do we struggle with our own internal weaknesses and sins but we also face a barrage of temptations from the devil and from the world around us. If our appetites aren’t being attacked with temptations toward gluttony or lust, you can be sure that our intellects are being weakened through fuzzy logic or questionable philosophies.
So what should we do? Protect ourselves by living like hermits closed off from the world? Stick our fingers in our ears and cover our eyes whenever we go out?
Not at all! Giving up like that is almost as bad as giving in to temptation. Why? Because when we try to hide from the world, we are telling ourselves that Jesus isn’t big enough to handle our challenges. Not to mention, it’s next to impossible to silence all these opposing voices, since so many of them originate in our own hearts.
Rather than trying to wall yourself off from the world, go on the offensive. In faith and confidence, stand up to all these voices and tell them that Christ is in you and that you are in Christ. Tell them that they are only shadows, weak whispers when compared to the power of the Holy Spirit and the divine life that he has placed in your heart.
It really is possible to live a life of “sincere and pure commitment to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3). You may not be perfect at it, but daily practice—and daily surrender to Jesus—can go a long way in building up your faith. So stand tall and stay close to Jesus. Then watch as the devil flees!
“Jesus, I know that without you I am nothing. But I also know that with you I have everything. Give me confidence to fight the good fight of faith today.”
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