“Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” (MK 7: 14-15)
“He made me angry”; “it doesn’t work because of him”; “she started this conflict,” and many other statements we can use every day to protect ourselves. God’s word reminds us: “Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person.” We are responsible for what we do—“the things that come out from within are what defile.”
“Your word, O Lord, is truth: consecrate us in the truth.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work he had been doing, he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.” (GE 2: 2-3)
We are not only invited to celebrate Sunday, “the seventh day,” but also obliged to do it. Why? Because “God blessed the seventh day and made it holy.” We also should “rest from all the work we have done” to enjoy creation, to enjoy relationship with God, our Creator, and to enjoy our relationship with our families. The “rest” is not a privilege but an order, to protect a right order in our lives.
“Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees; and favor me with your law.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.” (MK 6: 56)
Our Lord always looks for any occasion to be with us, to help us and to heal us from any kind of weaknesses or sicknesses. “Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplace…as many as touched it were healed.” When we bring to Him our lives or when we come closer to Him, He can touch our hearts and our families, He can touch our relationships and our professions and help us to grow and to be more gentle, more respectful, more generous and more responsible for good strategies for our marriages. He is always with us.
“Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and cured every disease among the people.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; if you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday.” (IS 58: 9-10)
I am the first person who needs to change; not my brother or sister, not my spouse or co-worker, not he or she—but me. With this change I can change the whole world because the world, with my change, will be a little bit better place to live; my change can inspire somebody else to do the same, and together we can inspire more and more people. We know that every journey starts with the first step. This one—to change ourselves—is the most important.
“I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.” (Gospel acclamation)
“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have; God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind.” (HEB 13: 16)
Not many of us can imitate God’s generosity—He gave Himself for us—He shared what He is. What we can do, at least, is “to share what we have.” It means we have open eyes and open hearts to see our neighbor’s need. “God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind.”
“Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart, and yield a harvest through perseverance.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Thus we may say with confidence: The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?” (HEB 13: 6)
This is really unbelievable—“the Lord is our helper,” which means, that God Himself takes care of us. We are God’s creatures, totally dependent on God; we should serve Him and love Him, but He made Himself our helper. How lucky we are!
“Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart, and yield a harvest through perseverance.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord”… (LK 2: 22)
Jesus, as the firstborn son was consecrated to the Lord as the law required, but there was no requirement that this be done at the temple. Mary and Joseph took Him there to respect God the Father and the reason why He was sent by the Father. When we “present” ourselves to God, coming to the Church, we respect God as a Father; we respect Jesus and what He did for us, and we respect the Holy Spirit, Who is leading us.
“A light of revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Strive for peace with everyone, and for that holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” (HEB 12: 14)
This is a real challenge—“strive for peace with everyone.” Especially “with everyone,” because it also means with ourselves. How easily we can lose our inner peace because something is not like we want or because somebody is not like we expect. “Strive” is proactive; “strive” requires from us action and motivation: peace is an effect of my efforts, not just a nice sensation or emotion.
“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.” (Gospel Acclamation)
