Reading 1 Jas 2:1-9
My brothers and sisters, show no partiality
as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.
For if a man with gold rings and fine clothes
comes into your assembly,
and a poor person with shabby clothes also comes in,
and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes
and say, "Sit here, please,"
while you say to the poor one, "Stand there," or "Sit at my feet,"
have you not made distinctions among yourselves
and become judges with evil designs?
Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters.
Did not God choose those who are poor in the world
to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom
that he promised to those who love him?
But you dishonored the poor.
Are not the rich oppressing you?
And do they themselves not haul you off to court?
Is it not they who blaspheme the noble name that was invoked over you?
However, if you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture,
You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well.
But if you show partiality, you commit sin,
and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Gospel Mk 8:27-33
Jesus and his disciples set out
for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Along the way he asked his disciples,
"Who do people say that I am?"
They said in reply,
"John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets."
And he asked them,
"But who do you say that I am?"
Peter said to him in reply,
"You are the Christ."
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."
Meditation: James 2:1-9
Show no partiality.” (James 2:1)
One man with gold rings and fine clothes and another man with shabby clothes. You can easily picture these two people in your mind, because you’ve probably seen them in your own church. And we all know that social distinctions like rich versus poor do not disappear completely in church. The poor and homeless will often sit in the back, while the wealthy and more comfortable will sit in the front, often walking by their less fortunate brothers and sisters without giving them any thought. How can we break down such barriers?
As we know, some divisions can’t easily be overcome. Some people are too afraid or ashamed to ask for help, and those they might ask are too nervous to reach out a hand of compassion. But that’s not the main point. James isn’t talking about making our churches into utopias. He doesn’t expect every wealthy person to give away all their riches. At the core of today’s passage is a call to something everyone can do: pay attention to one another!
Part of paying attention to the needy certainly can mean giving of our resources. If we say: “God bless you,” yet do nothing to relieve their suffering, we’re helping very little (James 2:16). At the same time, if we simply hand them a dollar bill and never speak to them or look them in the eye, we’re ignoring one of their most basic needs—to be treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve as children of God. Jesus could have fixed everyone’s problems instantly, but he always listened to people first. Simply being present was a big part of his ministry.
Think about how you are present to others—not just those you are comfortable with but those you tend to shy away from. That could include the poor, but also those who look and even think differently from you, like a member of a different political party or a different religion. Can you see that person as Jesus does? Ask the Lord for the wisdom and understanding to listen to that person. You may end up being touched deeply.
“Lord, you know how I value some people more than others. Help me to treat everyone as respectfully as I can. Teach me to see your reflection in all people.”
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