Whoever Is Not Against Us Is For Us

FEBRUARY 23, 2022, WEDNESDAY

Memorial of Saint Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr (Red)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 343

Reading I

Jas 4:13-17

Beloved:

Come now, you who say,

“Today or tomorrow we shall go into such and such a town,

spend a year there doing business, and make a profit”–

you have no idea what your life will be like tomorrow.

You are a puff of smoke that appears briefly and then disappears.

Instead you should say,

“If the Lord wills it, we shall live to do this or that.”

But now you are boasting in your arrogance.

All such boasting is evil.

So for one who knows the right thing to do

and does not do it, it is a sin.

Responsorial Psalm

49:2-3, 6-7, 8-10, 11

R.        (Matthew 5:3)  Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

Hear this, all you peoples;

            hearken, all who dwell in the world,

Of lowly birth or high degree,

            rich and poor alike.

R.        Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

Why should I fear in evil days

            when my wicked ensnarers ring me round?

They trust in their wealth;

            the abundance of their riches is their boast.

R.        Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

Yet in no way can a man redeem himself,

            or pay his own ransom to God;

Too high is the price to redeem one’s life; he would never have enough

            to remain alive always and not see destruction.

R.        Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

For he can see that wise men die,

            and likewise the senseless and the stupid pass away,

            leaving to others their wealth.

R.        Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

Alleluia

Jn 14:6

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;

no one comes to the Father except through me.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 9:38-40

John said to Jesus,

“Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,

and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.”

Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him.

There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name

who can at the same time speak ill of me.

For whoever is not against us is for us.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

To believe in Jesus is a great gift from God. Anyone that does a good act to another in His name are certainly blessed.p Also, if someone gives you just a cup of water because you believe in the Lord, they too will receive a reward. On the other hand, if we should block others from believing in the Lord, Jesus tells us in very descriptive language that there will be a price to pay. How we deal with each other reminds us of our responsibility vis-à-vis the examples, either good or bad, that we portray in our way of living.

PRAYER:

Lord, self-renunciation and attention to the needs of our brothers and sisters are the hallmark of belonging to you. You call me to be a stepping stone for others, not a stumbling block.