First reading James 1:12-18
Temptation is not from God
Happy the man who stands firm when trials come. He has proved himself, and will win the prize of life, the crown that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
Never, when you have been tempted, say, ‘God sent the temptation’; God cannot be tempted to do anything wrong, and he does not tempt anybody. Everyone who is tempted is attracted and seduced by his own wrong desire. Then the desire conceives and gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it too has a child, and the child is death.
Make no mistake about this, my dear brothers: it is all that is good, everything that is perfect, which is given us from above; it comes down from the Father of all light; with him there is no such thing as alteration, no shadow of a change. By his own choice he made us his children by the message of the truth so that we should be a sort of first-fruits of all that he had created.
Responsorial Psalm 93(94):12-15,18-19
Happy the man whom you teach, O Lord.
Happy the man whom you teach, O Lord,
whom you train by means of your law;
to him you give peace in evil days
while the pit is being dug for the wicked.
The Lord will not abandon his people
nor forsake those who are his own;
for judgement shall again be just
and all true hearts shall uphold it.
When I think: ‘I have lost my foothold’;
your mercy, Lord, holds me up.
When cares increase in my heart
your consolation calms my soul.
Gospel Mark 8:14-21
Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod
The disciples had forgotten to take any food and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. Then he gave them this warning, ‘Keep your eyes open; be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.’ And they said to one another, ‘It is because we have no bread.’ And Jesus knew it, and he said to them, ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you not yet understand? Have you no perception? Are your minds closed? Have you eyes that do not see, ears that do not hear? Or do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?’ They answered, ‘Twelve.’ ‘And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?’ And they answered, ‘Seven.’ Then he said to them, ‘Are you still without perception?’
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Trust in Jesus
In today’s Gospel, they worry about having only one loaf of bread among them, wondering whether it will be enough, despite witnessing Jesus’ miraculous multiplication of loaves and fish twice. In response, Jesus warned them about the “yeast of the Pharisees and Herod,” which symbolised corruption and unbelief. However, the disciples focus on their immediate concern about the bread, missing the deeper message in His warning. Jesus patiently urges them to trust Him and remember the miracles they have seen.
Much like the disciples, we often find ourselves anxious about not having enough for ourselves and those we care about. We focus on our “one loaf of bread” and let worry consume us. How blind and deaf we can be! Today, Jesus calls us to place our trust in Him and not to get so caught up in one concern after another that we overlook the countless miracles, big and small, that we have experienced in our lives.
Reflective question:
Reflecting on my life’s journey, when did I feel Jesus’ personal care and protection?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
