Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection February 27, 2025
7th Week in Ordinary Time
27th February 2025 (Thursday)
Psalter: Week 3
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Sirach 5:1-8
Rely not on your wealth; say not: “I have the power.” Rely not on your strength in following the desires of your heart. Say not: “Who can prevail against me?” or, “Who will subdue me for my deeds?” for God will surely exact the punishment. Say not: “I have sinned, yet what has befallen me?” for the Most High bides his time. Of forgiveness be not overconfident, adding sin upon sin. Say not: “Great is his mercy; my many sins he will forgive.” For mercy and anger alike are with him; upon the wicked alights his wrath. Delay not your conversion to the LORD, put it not off from day to day. For suddenly his wrath flames forth; at the time of vengeance you will be destroyed. Rely not upon deceitful wealth, for it will be no help on the day of wrath.
Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6 (R. 40:5a)
R/. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. Receive the word of God, not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God.
R/. Alleluia.
Gospel: Mark 9:41-50
Jesus said to his disciples: “Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward. “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. “Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavour? Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.”
Daily Gospel Reflection
Thursday – 7th Week in Ordinary Time
Main Point: Living a scandalous life and giving a bad example will certainly invite God’s wrath and judgment. For it is not only self-ruin but also ruining others through misguidance
Jesus comes heavily on scandals and bad examples. Those who cause scandals and influence and lead others to sin deserve to be killed. He bluntly declares: Whoever causes others to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.
Therefore, whoever gives scandals to others, whoever lives a deviated life, whoever misguides others to wrong ways, whoever deceives and manipulates others with cunningness and falsity, whoever creates, justifies, and promotes evil, instead of avoiding it, is liable to God’s displeasure and death
But alas how many are least bothered about setting a bad example to others! How many politicians, famous and influential people, religious leaders, parents, elders continue to give bad examples to others? That indifference to God, that lack of prayer, those quarrels, that anger, that needless anxiety, that irresponsibility, that negligence in faith matters, that deception, that greed, that selfishness, that failure to guide, to counsel, to correct, to inspire, that lack of tenderness, understanding, and kindness, whether in the families or in the parish or in the neighborhood or in the places of work – all these, are they not scandals which we give to our dear ones, to our neighbors or colleagues?
One great antidote to this disease is awareness of the gravity of sin. Sin is not fun. It is something serious. Its consequences are grave. Losing our limbs is preferable to committing sin. It is better to go to heaven handicapped rather than going to hell with all the limbs.
Another remedy is to help and support those who belong to and work for Christ. Jesus says, “Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward”.
Further, another way to counter the pull toward scandals is to be more responsible for our role of being salt. Just as salt preserves things from decay and deterioration and adds flavor, so also with our saltiness of a good example, we can salten life.
My Practice: Time and again we are surrounded and shocked by scandals and bad examples. In such a context, on one hand, we need to increase our immunity to resist their negative influence; on the other hand, we need to enhance our strength for positive influence and a good example
