Reading 1 Jas 1:12-18
Blessed is he who perseveres in temptation,
for when he has been proven he will receive the crown of life
that he promised to those who love him.
No one experiencing temptation should say,
"I am being tempted by God";
for God is not subject to temptation to evil,
and he himself tempts no one.
Rather, each person is tempted when lured and enticed by his desire.
Then desire conceives and brings forth sin,
and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters:
all good giving and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.
He willed to give us birth by the word of truth
that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 94:12-13a, 14-15, 18-19
R. (12a) Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
Blessed the man whom you instruct, O LORD,
whom by your law you teach,
Giving him rest from evil days.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
For the LORD will not cast off his people,
nor abandon his inheritance;
But judgment shall again be with justice,
and all the upright of heart shall follow it.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
When I say, "My foot is slipping,"
your mercy, O LORD, sustains me;
When cares abound within me,
your comfort gladdens my soul.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
Gospel Mk 8:14-21
The disciples had forgotten to bring bread,
and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
Jesus enjoined them, "Watch out,
guard against the leaven of the Pharisees
and the leaven of Herod."
They concluded among themselves that
it was because they had no bread.
When he became aware of this he said to them,
"Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?
And do you not remember,
when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,
how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?"
They answered him, "Twelve."
"When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand,
how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?"
They answered him, "Seven."
He said to them, "Do you still not understand?"
Meditation: Mark 8:14-21
Watch out.” (Mark 8:15)
The disciples had forgotten more than just bread! They had forgotten—or perhaps they just hadn’t yet realized—something fundamental about who God is and how he treats his children. He is a giver of good gifts, and he is unchanging. He is reliable and consistent in his dealings with us. As the Letter of James tells us: “All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow [of] change” (James 1:17).
So if God had given bread to eat to those who had none—twice, no less—wouldn’t it be reasonable to think that he might do so again? So why did the disciples worry that they didn’t have any bread for themselves? Jesus was right there in the boat with them. Couldn’t they ask him to help them out? Unfortunately, their thoughts were stuck on what their stomachs growled for and what their eyes beheld—no bread.
This story tells us how important it is that we take our thoughts captive and make sure they line up with the truths of faith as we know them. Sometimes it takes a serious amount of effort to do that, but we will be blessed if we persevere. If we can get into the habit of measuring our thoughts, ideas, and emotions against what we know to be true about God, we will find ourselves more peaceful, more trusting, and more confident in his love and power.
Today, try making a list of some things Scripture says about who God is. You can use the articles in the front of this magazine to help you. Take a look at the attributes of God that we explore in those articles, and expand on them a bit. Then, use this list as a sounding board as the day unfolds. Try your best to make your thoughts and feelings to line up with the truths you have written out. No matter what happens today—good, bad, or indifferent—proclaim to yourself: “God is good. Always. He loves me. That never changes. He will always care for me. Abundantly.”
“Jesus, I want to live in peace, secure in your love and provision for my life. Help me to know and trust the truth of who you are.”
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