GOOD SCARS

“It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” – Matthew 5:30

I read about a child who was bitten on his leg by an alligator. Fortunately, his mother was able to grab his arm.

The mother strongly held her child’s arm while the alligator tugged from the other side. After a while, someone saw what was happening and shot the alligator.

A journalist came to take a photo of the child’s wound. The kid asked, “Which wound?” Apparently, he also had scars in the arm because his mother’s nails had dug deep into his skin. He was grateful for having those scars because it meant his mother never let go of him.

The story made me reflect on many unanswered prayers that scarred my heart. I realize that those missed opportunities could’ve been the enemy’s way to snatch my heart away from God. I could’ve been proud and self-reliant if God granted my petitions my way. Though it hurt, I’ve learned to see that behind every unanswered prayer is a God who knows what’s best for me—a Father who won’t let the enemy steal and harm His child.

In my lowest of lows, I’d rather have a wounded heart than a godless life. Maymay Salvosa (c.salvosa@shepherdsvoice.com.ph)

Reflect: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9, NIV)

Father, help me to trust Your ways even in my pain. Amen.

St. Albert Chmielowski, pray for us.

Our relationship with Jesus is our greatest treasure. Let us remember that this is all that matters. This is the difference between a life of frustration and the life of a saint. Our relationship with Jesus is at the heart of all that matters.

2 Corinthians 4:7-15

7 Brothers and sisters: we hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying about in the Body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are constantly being given up to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you. 13 Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,” we too believe and therefore speak, 14 knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and place us with you in his presence. 15 Everything indeed is for you, so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.

Psalm 116:10-11, 15-16, 17-18

R: To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.

10 I believed, even when I said, “I am greatly afflicted”; 11 I said in my alarm, “No man is dependable.” (R) 15 Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones. 16 O Lord, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your handmaid; you have loosed my bonds. (R) 17 To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving, and I will call upon the name of the Lord. 18 My vows to the Lord I will pay in the presence of all his people. (R)

GOSPEL 

The examples Jesus uses in today’s Gospel may be extreme and not practical. Nevertheless, they contain a kernel of truth. The worst thing we can do is damage our relationship with God. It is better to be injured than to let sin control us.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life. 

Matthew 5:27-32

27 Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. 28 But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna. 31 “It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce. 32 But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

think: How do you prevent sin from controlling you?

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LOOKING LUSTFULLY IS A SIN

Jesus desires that we all grow in holiness. In the Gospel today, we hear Him telling us that even to look lustfully constitutes a sin. What does He mean by this? Jesus shifts the burden of moral truth from a mere external evaluation to one that first focuses on the intention of the moral agent. We can no longer be just concerned with the effects or results of a particular act when considering its morality; we also need to know the intention of the person. The purity of heart, a deeper righteousness than that of the scribes and Pharisees, is precisely that morality where we do not disregard the intention of the moral act.

We are all aware of the ancient adage, “All’s well that ends well,” a name Shakespeare gave to one of his plays. How true is this statement? As far as the intention that leads to a particular action is concerned, the adage is not true at all. Just because a series of acts lead to a good result does not mean that the acts performed to achieve the end are all good. They may be good, but there is no necessity to their being good. Only when we know the intention of the doer will we be in a place to establish whether or not any of the individual acts made were, in fact, good moral choices.

As Christians, we are called to stand apart from the rest of society and ensure that everything we do is a truly righteous act in both intention and essence. That is, we are both intending and actually doing good in every moral choice we make. Jesus will not allow any compromise to this as He, being without sin, knows that to begin to entertain sin or compromise the truth will ultimately end in sin.

We have to learn to be ruthless in rejecting both sin and temptation to sin if we have any hope of living up to our calling as Christians. Let us pray that each of us will take this challenge to heart and so live a righteous life—a life to the full in God’s blessings. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

------- REFLECTION QUESTIONS -------

How can you grow in holiness? Is there a particular aspect of your life that you need to work on more closely?

Father in heaven, help me, by Your grace, to open my heart to the fullness of the Holy Spirit and so access the source of grace for my life of discipleship. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ______________________________