We often look for the Lord in the wrong places. We look for Him in success, but find Him in service. We look for the Lord in wealth, but find Him in a simple life that glorifies Him. Elijah found the Lord not in the strong wind or the earthquake, he encountered the Lord in a tiny whisper.

1 Kings 19:9, 11-16

9 At the mountain of God, Horeb, Elijah came to a cave, where he took shelter. But the word of the Lord came to him, 11 “Go outside and stand on the mountain before the Lord; the Lord will be passing by.” A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the Lord — but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake — but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake there was fire — but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. 13 When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, “Elijah, why are you here?” 14 He replied, “I have been most zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. But the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they seek to take my life.” 15 The Lord said to him, “Go, take the road back to the desert near Damascus. When you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king of Aram. 16 Then you shall anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, as king of Israel, and Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, as prophet to succeed you.”

P S A L M  

Psalm 27:7-8, 8-9, 13-14

R: I long to see your face, O Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, the sound of my call; have pity on me, and answer me. 8 Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks. (R) Your presence, O Lord, I seek. 9 Hide not your face from me; do not in anger repel your servant. You are my helper; cast me not off. (R) 13 I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord. (R)

GOSPEL

Marriage is the bedrock of our society. Man and woman are joined in love so that they can enrich the world with children. If our relationships are not rooted in this truth, then there is no marriage. God’s purpose for marriage is unity between husband and wife, and procreation – giving birth to new life. Let us defend this institution from erosion and decay, particularly from those whose agenda is to remove the Judeo-Christian ethic from our society. 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

The words of Jesus about adultery and divorce involve more than such marital woes. They reveal to us a certain outlook of Jesus about authentic holiness.

The teaching of Sacred Scriptures is clear: man and woman, from the beginning, are made for each other, and for a relationship that is lifetime (cf. Genesis 2:23-24). God created woman, in fact, as an expression of his intimate and personal love and care for man who felt lonely even with all the animals. However, the divine plan is not easily appreciated by man, and so God allowed divorce because of the hardness of the human heart (Matthew 19:4 ). The Jewish practice of giving a decree of divorce was meant to be a protection for the women who were greatly disadvantaged in a patriarchal society. It was legislated by Moses so that the women may not be divorced by the men arbitrarily. The eternal truth, however, remains: God intends marriage to be forever, and anyone who divorces his wife and marries another opens the marriage covenant to two dangers. The divorced wife is forced into a life of adultery, and the man who divorced his wife and marries another himself commits adultery in the eyes of God.

On a wider plane, Jesus is then asserting: Granted that a man divorces his wife for a “just cause” — the “righteous act” of the man forces the woman to now live a life of continuous adultery. The “righteous act” becomes a gateway to a sinful situation for another. The other is forever condemned by her sin.

The plan of Jesus is salvation for all without condemnation. A true believer should be sad if his righteousness means the condemnation of another. True righteousness must defeat the enmity but not make an enemy of others. A “lost sheep” is still part of the sheepfold, and Jesus would leave the 99 good sheep to seek the lost. Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

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

A lost sheep is still part of the sheepfold. Do you live like you believe this?

Lord, I pray for holiness, for purity of heart. But I pray also that You accept my sacrifices and goodness, so that others may be drawn to light and conversion to You. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ___________________________________