Every Sunday, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click HERE for the readings.
The second reading from the Letter of St. James gives a definition of “pure religion”. He writes: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
He also says that we must be “doers of the word and not hearers only.” In other words, we must be people of action who live out in our lives what we believe in our hearts.
But in order to be people of action we must first be submissive to God’s word. St. James says, “Humbly welcome the word that is planted in you and is able to save souls.” Unless we hear God’s voice, how will we know what God wants of us?
So, what do we make of all of this? We must listen and then we must respond. We must hear and then we must act. This is the process of discernment that is required of everyone who prays for the coming of God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
This requires us to listen to the Spirit speaking to us in Sacred Scripture and the Spirit speaking to us through each other, especially crying out to us from those of us who are hurting. The Lord is crying out to us to be agents of justice, mercy and healing. The Lord is also crying out to us to be holier (not holier than thou) and to be less harsh with each other. Kindness and gentleness are fruits of the Spirit that we must cultivate.
If we hear today’s Gospel, Jesus is telling us that reform and holiness will only come when we root out the evil that often takes root within us. He says, “From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, . . . “
This call to holiness and “pure religion” demands that we change, beginning with me. It is a daily task to wake up and try once again to have the heart of Jesus for everyone that he will put before us on our journey home to God.
May we put our faith into practice and rely on God’s mercy when we fail. And, Lord, have mercy on us who are sinners.
On this Labor Day weekend, let’s pray for those who are seeking employment, those who are underemployed, and those whose labor is difficult and dangerous.
Have a blessed week everyone.