Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile. – Mark 7:15

       Josephine Bakhita is the patron saint of Sudan. She was born in 1869 to a happy African family. Things changed when she was kidnapped in 1876, sold as a slave and tortured throughout her captivity. By God’s grace, she was taken to Venice and was given to a kind Italian family. She became a Canossian sister in 1893 after being declared a free person.

         When asked what she would do if she were to meet her captors and torturers again, she replied, “I would kneel and kiss their hands, for if that did not happen, I would not be a Christian today.”

         In Mark 7:15, Jesus said, “The things which come out of a man are what defile him.” Life may deal with us cruelly and make us suffer. But what defines us is not what life throws at us. Instead, it is how we respond to it. St. Josephine’s trauma was so great that she forgot her own name as a child. But none of the suffering deterred her from being kind, forgiving and loving. May we learn to be as Christian as St. Josephine Bakhita. Rod Velez (rod.velez@gmail.com)

When we retrace the steps of Calvary, we realize that You suffered more than any of us. Teach us to never lose hope, dear Lord.

St. Josephine Bakhita, pray for us.

God made His first covenant with Adam when He said that Adam and Eve could eat anything in the garden except from one particular tree. But what did the couple do? They ate the fruit from the forbidden tree. This is what has been called original sin — one that dates back to the very beginning.

4 At the time when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens — 5 while as yet there was no field shrub on earth and no grass of the field had sprouted, for the Lord God had sent no rain upon the earth and there was no man to till the soil, 6 but a stream was welling up out of the earth and was watering all the surface of the ground — 7 the Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being. 8 Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and he placed there the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the Lord God made various trees grow that were delightful to look at and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 15 The Lord God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it. 16 The Lord God gave man this order: “You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden 17 except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die.”

R: O bless the Lord, my soul!

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord, my God, you are great indeed! You are clothed with majesty and glory, 2 robed in light as with a cloak. (R) 27 All creatures look to you to give them food in due time. 28 When you give it to them, they gather it; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. (R) 29 If you take away their breath, they perish and return to their dust. 30 When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. (R)

GOSPEL96

Jesus teaches His disciples that a person’s decision is the root of sin. This is why He focuses on the heart. We have only ourselves to blame for sin and its effects. It is up to us to embrace conversion and faith, and allow God’s grace to transform our daily life. Without this, any attempt at faith will be hypocritical.

Your word, O Lord, is truth: consecrate us in the truth.

14 Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. 15 Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” 16-17 When he got home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the parable. 18 He said to them, “Are even you likewise without understanding? Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile, 19 since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the latrine?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 “But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him. 21 From within man, from his heart, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. 23 All these evils come from within and they defile.”

think: Have you ever felt burdened by religious traditions in your efforts to obey God?

Read the Bible in one year  Romans 13-16

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

thank You, Lord, for: ______________________________________________________

OPEN-HEART SURGERY

I hear many stories about people undergoing open-heart surgery. One can be diagnosed and treated properly and experience a transformation of the heart! I am not a doctor so I won’t get too technical but it’s amazing to hear of success stories of people who went through heart surgeries.

     The greatest sickness of the heart today is more than what the doctors tell us — and I call it sin. Sin is the greatest sickness of the heart because it has eternal consequences. We all need to go through an open-heart surgery to remove the residues of sin in our hearts. As we hear in the Gospel, from within the heart of man come evil thoughts, evil intentions resulting in evil deeds. St. John Paul II said that man has lost a sense of sin. We are no longer aware of what sin is or we have become immuned to it. We have become comfortable with sin in our lives.

       I believe that we need to be reminded of the beauty of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We need to avail of this sacrament often, not only to have our sins forgiven, but to continue the work of conversion that is desperately needed in our lives.

       Sin is serious stuff. It may seem sweet and innocent but once it has a grasp on our life, it can result in habits that are hard to break. Jesus knew only too well the dangers of sin — evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, envy, licentiousness, blasphemy, arrogance and folly.

     Perhaps today, we can examine our conscience. This is a good practice in our spiritual journey. Take a moment to reflect on how you have been drawn to the Lord — count your blessings. And then take time to reflect on when and how you have withdrawn from the Lord, the times you failed to acknowledge Him. Perhaps the vices that Jesus lists in today’s Gospel can help you examine your conscience. Of course, Jesus does not condemn us when we sin. As St. Paul says, we simply turn to the Lord and seek His forgiveness, love and mercy. Fr. Brian Steele, MGL

---------- REFLECTION QUESTION ----------

What sins in your life do you need to confess? Are you willing to undergo an open-heart surgery?

Lord, I give You my heart. I open my heart to Your healing love and forgiveness. Give me a humble and contrite heart that I may always follow You. Amen.