First reading 1 Kings 19:19-21
Elisha leaves the plough to follow Elijah
Leaving Mount Horeb, Elijah came on Elisha son of Shaphat as he was ploughing behind twelve yoke of oxen, he himself being with the twelfth. Elijah passed near to him and threw his cloak over him. Elisha left his oxen and ran after Elijah. ‘Let me kiss my father and mother, then I will follow you’ he said. Elijah answered, ‘Go, go back; for have I done anything to you?’ Elisha turned away, took the pair of oxen and slaughtered them. He used the plough for cooking the oxen, then gave to his men, who ate. He then rose, and followed Elijah and became his servant.
Responsorial Psalm 15(16):1-2,5,7-10
You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you.
I say to the Lord: ‘You are my God.’
O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup;
it is you yourself who are my prize.
I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel,
who even at night directs my heart.
I keep the Lord ever in my sight:
since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.
And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad;
even my body shall rest in safety.
For you will not leave my soul among the dead,
nor let your beloved know decay.
Gospel Matthew 5:33-37
Do not swear: say ‘Yes’ if you mean Yes, ‘No’ if you mean No
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not break your oath, but must fulfil your oaths to the Lord. But I say this to you: do not swear at all, either by heaven, since that is God’s throne; or by the earth, since that is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, since that is the city of the great king. Do not swear by your own head either, since you cannot turn a single hair white or black. All you need say is “Yes” if you mean yes, “No” if you mean no; anything more than this comes from the evil one.’
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“Yes” is “Yes”and “No” is “No”
In today’s gospel, the message that Jesus wants us to understand and put into practice is: To make truth the ground in which we root ourselves so that we can be trustworthy people. Our “yes” must be a “yes” and our “no” must be a “no”. Let us look at our lives and how we interact with God and others: Am I rooted in truthfulness? Do I communicate with others honestly or deceitfully?
It is not easy to be honest sometimes, especially when we need to admit our mistakes to others. In such situations, lying might seem to be appealing. Yet, when we fail to keep our word, we actually take away the trust the person has for us. Today, let us never forget that the Master we follow is honest and trustworthy, and let us also ask Him to help us to become people of our word.
Reflective question:
Are my words and actions based on honesty and integrity?
Are my words and actions based on honesty and integrity?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year B” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.
