My reflections for Feb. 17, 2006 - Friday

February 17, 2006

Reading I
James 2:14-24, 26

What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
“Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,”
but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it?
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.

Indeed someone might say,
“You have faith and I have works.”
Demonstrate your faith to me without works,
and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
You believe that God is one.
You do well.
Even the demons believe that and tremble.
Do you want proof, you ignoramus,
that faith without works is useless?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works
when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?
You see that faith was active along with his works,
and faith was completed by the works.
Thus the Scripture was fulfilled that says,
Abraham believed God,
and it was credited to him as righteousness,
and he was called the friend of God.
See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
For just as a body without a spirit is dead,
so also faith without works is dead.

(Faith is not just some sort of intellectual assent to a set of beliefs. It is a lived reality that includes every aspect of our lives. This is why James affirms that without works, faith is dead! If we want to know whether or not we have a vibrant and living faith, we should ask ourselves, "Is my life rich in good works? Am I giving myself in the service of my brothers and sisters around me?" If we cannot answer these questions in the affirmative then perhaps we need to look at how we can practically live out the demands of our faith.)

Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 112:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord’s commands.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord’s commands.
Wealth and riches shall be in his house;
his generosity shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
R. Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord’s commands.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord’s commands.

Gospel
Mark 8:34–9:1

Jesus summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the Gospel will save it.
What profit is there for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
What could one give in exchange for his life?
Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words
in this faithless and sinful generation,
the Son of Man will be ashamed of
when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

He also said to them,
“Amen, I say to you,
there are some standing here who will not taste death
until they see that the Kingdom of God has come in power.”

(It is unlikely that any of us would say that we are ashamed of believing in Jesus, however, our actions may say otherwise. Are we willing to always stand up for the truth and what is right and just no matter what cost may be? How often do we compromise a little on our beliefs in order to become more acceptable to others? The cahllenge for us is to be unyielding in our witness to the Gospel way of life. This is rarely easy!)

God's special verse/thought for me today.

my reflections
think: Is my life rich in good works? Am I giving myself in the service of my brothers and sisters around me?

thank You Lord for: