Everyday we face a battle against the wiles of evil, temptations, of being corrupted by the ways of the world! We must cut away the tentacles of greed, lust, pride, envy, rage, want of honour, recognition, all these that constantly seeks to entrap us.
All of us disciples, men and women alike face the same battles against sin and so it is important that we belong to a faith community. Where we can grow, encourage, nurture, affirm even admonish as necessary. We are accountable for and to one another in Christ Jesus our Lord. For where two or three are gathered in His name, He is present in our midst. Christ for and with us who can rise against us. Amen
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First reading
1 Timothy 6:2-12
We brought nothing into the world and can take nothing out of it
This is what you are to teach the brothers to believe and persuade them to do. Anyone who teaches anything different, and does not keep to the sound teaching which is that of our Lord Jesus Christ, the doctrine which is in accordance with true religion, is simply ignorant and must be full of self-conceit – with a craze for questioning everything and arguing about words. All that can come of this is jealousy, contention, abuse and wicked mistrust of one another; and unending disputes by people who are neither rational nor informed and imagine that religion is a way of making a profit. Religion, of course, does bring large profits, but only to those who are content with what they have. We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it; but as long as we have food and clothing, let us be content with that. People who long to be rich are a prey to temptation; they get trapped into all sorts of foolish and dangerous ambitions which eventually plunge them into ruin and destruction. ‘The love of money is the root of all evils’ and there are some who, pursuing it, have wandered away from the faith, and so given their souls any number of fatal wounds.
But, as a man dedicated to God, you must avoid all that. You must aim to be saintly and religious, filled with faith and love, patient and gentle. Fight the good fight of the faith and win for yourself the eternal life to which you were called when you made your profession and spoke up for the truth in front of many witnesses.
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Gospel
Luke 8:1-3
The women who accompanied Jesus
Jesus made his way through towns and villages preaching, and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom of God. With him went the Twelve, as well as certain women who had been cured of evil spirits and ailments: Mary surnamed the Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and several others who provided for them out of their own resources.
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