Let us never lose hope or give up fighting against sin, especially habitual sins! For it is true many of us have not had to fight to the point of death. On the contrary we have often taken the battle against sin too lightly and neglected to safeguard our Holiness. For it is only through Holiness that we can walk in His presence. Therefore no matter what we have done or have failed to do, let us always turn to our Lord for reconciliation. For we need His mercy, grace, peace and love in our lives.
We cannot afford to allow any hurts or bitterness to fester within us or our community, we must seek readily to forgive as well as to be forgiven; to be fully reconciled with one another. Only then can we hope to be fully reconciled with Him as His One Body.
Likewise we should never deprive anyone of His grace by keeping silent about Him and our relationship with Him. We must share His love with everyone especially those closest to us who might be the first to reject what we have to say. We continue to love them first in our actions and pray that through our Lord’s grace and in His time their hearts will be softened to hear His voice.
Lord in Your mercy and love train me to a better ‘soul-dier’ of Your mercy, love and grace. Amen
First reading
Hebrews 12:4-7,11-15
God is training you as his sons
In the fight against sin, you have not yet had to keep fighting to the point of death.
Have you forgotten that encouraging text in which you are addressed as sons? My son, when the Lord corrects you, do not treat it lightly; but do not get discouraged when he reprimands you. For the Lord trains the ones that he loves and he punishes all those that he acknowledges as his sons. Suffering is part of your training; God is treating you as his sons. Has there ever been any son whose father did not train him? Of course, any punishment is most painful at the time, and far from pleasant; but later, in those on whom it has been used, it bears fruit in peace and goodness. So hold up your limp arms and steady your trembling knees and smooth out the path you tread; then the injured limb will not be wrenched, it will grow strong again.
Always be wanting peace with all people, and the holiness without which no one can ever see the Lord. Be careful that no one is deprived of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness should begin to grow and make trouble; this can poison a whole community.
Gospel
Mark 6:1-6
‘A prophet is only despised in his own country’
Jesus went to his home town and his disciples accompanied him. With the coming of the sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue and most of them were astonished when they heard him. They said, ‘Where did the man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been granted him, and these miracles that are worked through him? This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joset and Jude and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here with us?’ And they would not accept him. And Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country, among his own relations and in his own house’; and he could work no miracle there, though he cured a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.
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