Mass Readings
First Reading: 1 Timothy 3:14–16
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 111--Response: Great are the works of the Lord
Gospel: Luke 7:31–35
Reflection
Today, St. Paul, in his first letter to Timothy, reminds us of how one ought to behave in the household of God, the Church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of truth (1 Tim 3:15). Every profession has a code of conduct: the teacher must teach the truth, the doctor must preserve life not celebrate death, the priest must guard the seal of confession. Likewise, there is an ethic, a way of conduct, when we enter God’s house.
The church is not a market square, a stadium, or a private lounge. It is not a place to show off, gossip, or distract others. It is the house of prayer, the dwelling place of the Holy One. Therefore, modesty in dress, reverence in silence, humility in heart, and purity in intention should guide us. We must not come to impress others but to encounter God.
Too often we worry more about our outward appearance than the state of our soul. But the Lord is concerned with the heart. Our bodies themselves are temples of the Holy Spirit. Just as we respect the physical church, so too must we honor our bodies and the bodies of others as God’s dwelling place.
Let us ask ourselves: How do I comport myself in God’s house? Am I a source of distraction or of reverence? Do I carry myself in a way that honors God’s presence?
Saint of the Day
Today we celebrate St. Robert Bellarmine (1542–1621), a Jesuit priest, theologian, and later bishop and cardinal. He used his intellectual gifts to defend and clarify the faith during the Catholic Reformation. His teaching and witness remind us that holiness is both a matter of the mind and of heart.
God bless you
Pal Ronnie
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