In the first reading we hear of the infidelity of the people and the atrocities of their sinfulness and mistreatment of the poor and defenseless. Those were in ancient times we might say. But look again carefully at people of today.
Materialism was on the rise then in today’s first reading, but what about the level of materialism today! How many of our youths have gone astray and have left the church. Fornication, pornography are on and all high. Same sex marriages are supported even cheered on! Young adults are blissfully ignorant of the plight of the elderly, the marginalised, and the poor. What are we doing to lead everyone back to the heart of the Lord our God? Will we not have the same consequences of our inaction?
”First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
—Martin Niemöller
Lord Jesus let me live out Your word and will for me in action. For the glory of Your name. Leading Your flock to Your kingdom. Amen
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First reading
Amos 2:6-10,13-16 ·
Because of your crimes I will crush you into the ground
The Lord says this:
For the three crimes, the four crimes, of Israel I have made my decree and will not relent:
because they have sold the virtuous man for silver and the poor man for a pair of sandals,
because they trample on the heads of ordinary people and push the poor out of their path, because father and son have both resorted to the same girl, profaning my holy name, because they stretch themselves out by the side of every altar on clothes acquired as pledges, and drink the wine of the people they have fined in the house of their god…
Yet it was I who overthrew the Amorites when they attacked,
men tall as cedars and strong as oaks, I who destroyed them,
both fruit above ground and root below.
It was I who brought you out of the land of Egypt and for forty years led you through the wilderness to take possession of the Amorite’s country.
See then how I am going to crush you into the ground as the threshing-sledge crushes when clogged by straw; flight will not save even the swift, the strong man will find his strength useless, the mighty man will be powerless to save himself.
The bowman will not stand his ground, the fast runner will not escape, the horseman will not save himself, the bravest warriors will run away naked that day. It is the Lord who speaks.
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Gospel
Matthew 8:18-22
The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head
When Jesus saw the great crowds all about him he gave orders to leave for the other side. One of the scribes then came up and said to him, ‘Master, I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’
Another man, one of his disciples, said to him, ‘Sir, let me go and bury my father first.’ But Jesus replied, ‘Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their dead.’
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