Daily Readings - Thu Feb 28 2019
Mark
41I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.42"And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.43If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.44Verse omitted from the New International Version45And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.46Verse omitted from the New International Version47And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,48where "'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'49Everyone will be salted with fire.50"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the seriousness of sin and the call to live a life of radical discipleship. In the first reading from Sirach, we are warned against trusting in wealth and worldly possessions, reminded that true security comes not from what we own but from our relationship with God. Sirach urges us to avoid complacency and to turn to the Lord without delay, for God’s mercy is great, but so is His justice. This wisdom literature, written in the Hellenistic period, encourages Jews to remain faithful amidst the temptations of wealth and cultural assimilation, emphasizing the importance of humility and trust in God’s providence.
In the Gospel, Mark presents Jesus’ stark teachings on sin and its consequences. Jesus uses dramatic imagery—cutting off hands, feet, and eyes—to emphasize the need to take sin seriously and to remove whatever leads us into it. He also reminds us that we are called to be “salted with fire,” a metaphor for the purification and transformation that come through living out our faith. This passage, part of Jesus’ broader teachings on discipleship, underscores the radical commitment required to follow Him. Together, the readings from Sirach and Mark challenge us to examine our lives, to let go of attachments that hinder our relationship with God, and to embrace the transformative power of faith.
In our daily lives, these readings call us to self-reflection and conversion. We are invited to ask ourselves: What are the “hands, feet, or eyes” in our lives that lead us away from God? What attachments or sins do we cling to, and how can we let them go? Sirach reminds us that God’s mercy is abundant, but it is not an excuse for complacency. Mark urges us to take bold steps to live as disciples, even if it means sacrifice. Together, they offer a balanced message: trust in God’s mercy, but also take responsibility for your spiritual life. Let us pray for the grace to live with integrity, to turn away from sin, and to be salt and light in a world that so desperately needs it.