27th Week in Ordinary Time
10th October 2023 (Tuesday) Readings and Reflection
Psalter: Week 3
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Jonah 3:1-10
In those days: Darius the king wrote to the governors of the province Beyond the river, “Leave the work on this house of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. Moreover, I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God. The cost is to be paid to these men in full and without delay from the royal revenue, the tribute of the province from Beyond the River. “I Darius make a decree; let it be done with all diligence.” And the elders of the Jews built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They finished their building by decree of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia; and this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. And the people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. They offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. And they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their divisions, for the service of God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses. On the fourteenth day of the first month, the returned exiles kept the Passover. For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves.
Psalm 130:1-2, 3-4, 7bc-8 (R. 3)
R/. If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand?
Alleluia
V/. Alleluia R/. Alleluia
V/. Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.
R/. Alleluia
Gospel : Luke 10:38-42
At that time: Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Highlight: Integrity in Integration!
Guidlines: The beauty and joy of life consist not in dichotomy and conflict between prayer and work, but harmony.{alertSuccess}
1. The story of Mary and Martha in the gospel is a familiar one. Apparently, it is a story of two individuals who were very close to Jesus. But it is in fact the story of constant tension and struggle between prayer and work, symbolized by Mary and Martha respectively. This is a very real experience for everyone. It is not just a practical problem but an existential problem. It is a constant pull between spiritual concerns and secular tasks.
2. What is needed is that both prayer and action should go together. We should not neglect work and duties in the name of prayer and spiritual duties. Similarly, we should not neglect or reduce our spiritual concerns under the pretext of heavy loads of work. One should not throw away or substitute the other. Because both complement and support each other. Prayer breathes "spirit" into the "flesh" of works. And work supplies "flesh" to the spirit of prayer.
3. However, we should bear in mind that as followers of Christ, prayer is our highest priority. By prayer we mean not just a number of prayers or spiritual activities. It means essentially an intimate communion, loyalty, and commitment to Christ. Nothing can be equal or substitute or alternative to this primacy.
4. Especially in our own times, where there is the viral trend of activism, where people are so negligent toward God and the spiritual because of their worldly pursuits, preoccupations, and self-interests, we need to reiterate this priority of prayer and devotion. In fact, true prayer and spirituality are certainly one to be more responsible and hardworking.
Practice: Work built on and guided by prayer, becomes deep and productive. Work devoid of prayer runs the risk of becoming shallow and superficial.{alertSuccess}