Faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead!
This week the mass readings are profound and powerful in how we live and what we do, especially with our faith. One thing we need to remember is that we are not God, we cannot think or know all of His knowledge and ways, we must humble ourselves always to Him. Let His will be done in our lives, He knows best and we need to leave it up to Him with our prayers and praise always to Him! The other is that of faith. Faith is so important, but without actions too, our faith means little. You can say you have faith and you love God, and follow Him, but if your actions really do not show this love, then our faith is of little help to us. We need to have actions behind the faith. St. Paul talks about this a lot too, without love, nothing else really matters. People can say they have faith in God, or even be a priest, but if they do not show this love to all, then what good is it? It is all about love. Faith is love in action towards all God's children! The Lord God is our help, we need to ask for it and follow Him, His son, the teachings, imitating, reflecting, and following Jesus. Like the Psalm says, we need to walk before the Lord, in the land of the living the best we can! As it is said in the mass readings, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world." We all have a cross to carry like Christ, we need to carry it with love and joy, it is not always easy, but we need to do the best we can, letting Christ live in us, being positive, loving, and joyful always in the Lord! We should never assume we can think for and speak for God, we cannot, like Jesus said, "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 a blessing! Our life eternal in Heaven with Jesus is the most important objective in our lives, we must take up our own cross, follow Jesus, reflect, and imitate Him, that means having the faith with actions, actually doing and showing it with love!
Reading 1
Isaiah 50:5-9a
The Lord GOD opens my ear that I may hear;
and I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
my face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.
The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
Let that man confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?
Ps 116:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9
R. (9) I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I love the LORD because he has heard
my voice in supplication,
because he has inclined his ear to me
the day I called.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The cords of death encompassed me;
the snares of the netherworld seized upon me;
I fell into distress and sorrow,
and I called upon the name of the LORD,
"O LORD, save my life!"
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gracious is the LORD and just;
yes, our God is merciful.
The LORD keeps the little ones;
I was brought low, and he saved me.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
For he has freed my soul from death,
my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
I shall walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
James 2:14-18
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.
Galatians 6:14
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord
through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Mark 8:27-35
Jesus and his disciples set out
for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Along the way he asked his disciples,
"Who do people say that I am?"
They said in reply,
"John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets."
And he asked them,
"But who do you say that I am?"
Peter said to him in reply,
"You are the Christ."
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."
He 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."
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