First Reading - James 5: 9-12
Gospel - Mark 10:1-12
The first reading proposes two virtues for our everyday life: endurance or patience and truthfulness. James teaches that the virtue of endurance involves patient faith to endure the unjust trials and sufferings of life. This patience is aligned with what God Himself is doing: enduring human evil for a season. James suggests that we should avoid taking justice into our own hands because God is the ultimate judge who will administer justice in His time. He uses Job as an example of someone who endured suffering with patience and was eventually vindicated by God.
The second virtue James emphasizes is truthfulness. He exhorts Christians to live in such a way that their words reflect their integrity. He strongly prohibits the taking of oaths, emphasizing that such practices challenge the truthfulness of a person. Living truthfully without the need for oaths reflects a life of true endurance and integrity.
The gospel passage addresses marriage and divorce, revolving around the Pharisees' attempt to trap Jesus and His response revealing God's will. Divorce was common in the Roman Empire, and among the Jews, there were differing views on its justification. The Pharisees' question to Jesus intended to trap Him into taking a controversial stance. However, Jesus redirects the conversation to God's original intention for marriage, emphasizing its sanctity and indissolubility. By this, Jesus affirms His authority to reveal God's will for humanity, which upholds the sanctity of marriage.
Dear friends, we all desire to discern God's will for our lives and live accordingly. Our prayer often is: "Lord, what do You want me to do today and in the days to come?" This prayer reflects our desire to know and follow God's will. Jesus reveals that God's will is for our good, emphasizing unity and sanctity rather than separation or evil. God reveals His will daily through Jesus, especially through His Word, proclaimed at Mass or in personal Scripture readings.
We are also warned against testing God as the Pharisees did. Often, we place an unbelieving heart before God, testing Him in our lives. This unbelief is manifested when we lack endurance, pass judgment on others, and make ourselves judges over others, replacing God with ourselves. This lack of faith and integrity reflects a testing of God. Being untruthful challenges our allegiance to God and manifests selfishness.
By avoiding testing God and seeking to discern His will, we align ourselves with His desires for us. Let's embrace patient faith and truthfulness, which help us to discern and live out God's will in our lives. Let's pray for the grace to recognize God's will and follow it faithfully.
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