JAMES 5 : 9 – 12

Do not grumble, brethren, against one another, that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the doors. As an example of suffering and patience, brethren, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we call those happy who were steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath, but let your yes be yes and your no be no, that you may not fall under condemnation.

The Word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 103: 1 – 4, 8 – 9, 11 – 12 (R.) 8a

R/. The Lord is compassionate and gracious.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all within me, his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and never forget all his benefits. R/.

It is the Lord who forgives all your sins,
who heals every one of your ills,
who redeems your life from the grave,
who crowns you with mercy and compassion. R/.

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger and rich in mercy.
He will not always find fault;
nor persist in his anger forever. R/.

For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so strong his mercy for those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far from us does he remove our transgressions. R?.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION.
John 17: 17 ba.

Alleluia.
Your word, O Lord, is truth; sanctify us in the truth.
Alleluia

GOSPEL
MARK 10: 1 – 12

At that time: Jesus went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again; and again, as his custom was, he taught them. And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away.” But Jesus said to them, “For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.” And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

The Gospel of the Lord.
REFLECTION: Seeking the Truth
February 25, 2022

The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked, “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” They were testing him. (Mark 10:2)

The Pharisees were constantly trying to trap Jesus. Though this is a sad fact, it does teach us a lesson about seeking the truth.

One of the most basic goals we must strive for in life is to seek the truth. We must seek to know the truth, and then allow that truth to set us free. On one level, the Pharisees were seeking the truth. They asked Jesus a question about the Law of Moses and His interpretation of that law. Though it is good to ask such a question and to seek an answer from Jesus, there is a subtle distinction that we must make.

The distinction has to do with the motive of the asker. In this case, the Pharisees were asking Jesus a question not because they were seeking the truth; rather, they were asking it with the intention of trickery and manipulation. They were looking for anything they could to try to trap Jesus so as to condemn Him. The much better way to ask Jesus a question is to come to Him for two reasons.

First, we must come to Him asking questions because we humbly believe that He is the source of all Truth. This takes humility because it requires that we acknowledge that Jesus knows better. He has the answer, a better answer than we have.

Secondly, when we ask Jesus a question, we should examine our motivation. Hopefully, our motivation consists in the single fact that we want to know. We have come to believe that He is the source of truth and, therefore, we turn to Him so that we will understand. So, not only do we humbly believe He has the answers, we also sincerely want to know them. This form of an inquisitive and open heart disposes us to receive all that He says to us, as if we were dry land ready to soak up a gentle rain.

Reflect, today, upon whether you regularly put all your questions in life before our Lord. If you do, examine your motivation. Strive to have a humble heart that desires to receive the pure truth from the source who is Truth Himself.

PRAYER:
My truthful Lord, I turn to You as the source of all Truth. Teach me Your ways and fill me with Your wisdom. Help me to understand life as You see it and, in that understanding, help me to embrace Your holy will. Jesus, I trust in You.https://masvingomirror.com