1ST KINGS 19: 19 – 21

In those days: Elijah departed from Mount Horeb, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was ploughing, with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth.  Elijah passed by him and cast his mantle upon him. And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?” And he returned from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah, and ministered to him.

The Word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 16: 1 – 2a and 5, 7 – 8, 9 – 10 (R.) 5a

R/. It is you, O Lord, who are my portion.

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord.”
O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup;
you yourself who secure my lot. R/.

I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel,
who even at night directs my heart.
I keep the Lord before me always;
with him at my right hand, I shall not be moved. R/.

And so, my heart rejoices, my soul is glad;
even my flesh shall rest in hope.
For you will not abandon my soul to hell,
nor let your holy one see corruption. R/.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION 
Psalm 119: 36a, 29b

Alleluia.
Bend my heart, O God, to your decrees, grant me mercy by your law.
Alleluia.

GOSPEL              
“I say to you, Do not swear at all.”
MATTHEW 5: 33 – 37

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Again you have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn. ’ But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from the Evil One.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mugovera 15 Chikumi – June;

Vhiki 10 regore –

Chiverengo chokutanga:
1 Madzimambo 19,19-21

Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mubhuku
rokutanga raMadzimambo
19 Eriya akandowana Erisha, mwanakomana
waShafati achirima, aine nzombe dzakabopwa
pamajoko gumi namaviri, iye ari pane regumi
nerechipiri racho. Eriya akapfuura nepaari akapaikira hanzu yake pana Erisha.
20 Erisha akabva asiya nzombe dzacho ndokumhanyira kuna Eriya akati, “Regai ndimbondotsvoda, ndichionekana nababa naamai vangu ndigoti ndokuteverai.” Akati kwaari, “Dzokera
zvako, ko chii chandaita kwauri?”
21 Akati dzokei kwaakanga achimutevera ndokutora
chipani chenzombe dzake mbiri, ndokudziuraya,
ndokubika nyama yadzo, joko ririro huni dzokubikisa ndokupa vanhu vakadya, ndokusimuka
otevera Eriya, omushandira.
Shoko raTenzi.

Rwiyo rwokutsinhira:
Nziyo 16,1b-2a+5.7-8.9-10. (D – 5)

(D) – TENZI imi ndimi mugove wangu nenhaka yangu.
1 Ndichengetei Mwari nokuti ndinopotera
mamuri.
2 Ndinoti kuna TENZI, “Imi ndimi TENZI
wangu.
5 TENZI ndiye mugove wangu nenhaka yangu.
Nhaka yangu iri mumaoko ake.
(D) – TENZI imi ndimi mugove wangu nenhaka yangu.
7 Ndinorumbidza TENZI anondipa mazano
kunyange usiku, mwoyo wangu unondinyevera.
8 Ndinoisa TENZI mberi kwangu nguva dzose;
nokuti ari kurudyi rwangu, handitsuduguki.
(D) – TENZI imi ndimi mugove wangu nenhaka yangu.
9 Naizvozvo mwoyo wangu unofara, mweya wangu
unopembera;
kana muviri wangu uchava norugare.
10 Hamungandiregi ndichienda kunzvimbo
yavakafa; kana kurega mururami wenyu
achipinda muguva.
(D) – TENZI imi ndimi mugove wangu nenhaka yangu.

Kupemberera Shoko Rakanaka:
Nziyo 119,36+29

Areruya, Areruya. Rerekerai mwoyo wangu
kumitemo yenyu. Ndichengetei ndirege kurasika. Areruya.

Shoko Rakanaka: Mateu 5,33-37

Inzwai Shoko Rakanaka rakanyorwa naMateu
Jesu akadzidzisa vadzidzi vake achiti:
33 “Makanzwawo kuti zvakanzi kuvanhu vakare
musapike nhema, asi kuti munotofanira kuita
zvamakapika kuna Tenzi.
34 Asi ini ndinoti kwamuri usambopika zvako
naTenzi, kana nedenga nokuti chigaro choumambo chaMwari ,
kana kupika nenyika nokuti chitambarariko
chetsoka dzake;
35 kana kupika neJerusaremu nokuti iguta
ramambo mukuru.
36 Usapike nomusoro wako, nokuti haugoni
kusandura ruvhudzi rwako kuti ruve ruchena
kana rutema.
37 Regai hongu wenyu angova hongu,
nakwete wenyu angova kwete;
zvimwe zvose zvinopfuura ipapa zvinobva
kuna wakaipa uya.”
Shoko Rakanaka raTenzi
SATURDAY, JUNE 15TH 2024.

TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

FIRST READING
“Elisha arose and went after Elijah, and ministered to him.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION: Daily Sincerity and Honesty
June 15, 2024

Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow. But I say to you, do not swear at all…” (Matthew 5:33–34)

The purpose of an oath was to guarantee the truthfulness of the statement made. Sometimes this can be very good. For example, many of the Sacraments involve making a public vow before God and the Church. In these cases, the vow is a form of oath that is solemnized so as to invite the grace of God to enter and strengthen it. It becomes a way of making a public witness to one’s faith and an expression of one’s need for God’s grace to be faithful to the promise that is made.

Jesus is not speaking about these forms of public vows, oaths and promises in the Gospel today. Instead, He is addressing a practice that some engaged in, whereby they regularly swore on God’s name about the truthfulness of what they were saying. The problem with this is that it takes something solemn and sacred and carelessly turns it into something ordinary. There is no need to “swear to God” about everything one says.

First of all, if one feels a need to call on God’s name regularly so as to convince another of the truthfulness of their statements, then it is most likely the case that they do so because they are struggling with dishonesty. Oath-taking on a regular basis seems to presuppose a human tendency to lie. For that reason, it is not ideal to go about one’s daily interactions with this presupposition. Instead, as Christians we must strive for a fundamental disposition of truthfulness. Jesus concludes this Gospel teaching by saying, “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the Evil One.” In other words, work to become a person of true honesty and integrity. Be sincere in all of your dealings, and do not begin with a presupposition of dishonesty. Begin with the intention of complete honesty and sincerity, and that will suffice.

Furthermore, if one were to go about their day making one oath after another, swearing on God’s name to the truthfulness every time, this would have the effect of lessening the solemnity of those few times when this is a good and holy practice. Making public vows, such as marriage vows, or public promises, such as priests make, are unique and solemn. Publicly renewing our faith within the Church, taking an oath as one begins the responsibility of some public office, or any other more solemn opportunity for oath-taking should be seen as a special occasion. Therefore, our daily commitments must simply be the fruit of our honesty and integrity as persons.

Reflect, today, upon your own daily approach to honesty and sincerity. Do you go about your day with the goal of living in the truth, speaking the truth and seeking the truth? Are you honest with others, seeking good and clear communication with them? Ponder these questions and know that interior integrity requires these virtues of honesty and sincerity. Seek that integrity and others will benefit as they grow to trust you each and every day.PRAYER:
Lord, You are the source of all truth, and You are Truth Itself. Please help me to become a daily instrument of that Truth in all that I say and do. I choose You and Your holy will always, and I choose to be Your instrument for all to see. Jesus, I trust in You.