First reading 1 Corinthians 2:10-16
The Spirit reaches even the depths of God
The Spirit reaches the depths of everything, even the depths of God. After all, the depths of a man can only be known by his own spirit, not by any other man, and in the same way the depths of God can only be known by the Spirit of God. Now instead of the spirit of the world, we have received the Spirit that comes from God, to teach us to understand the gifts that he has given us. Therefore we teach, not in the way in which philosophy is taught, but in the way that the Spirit teaches us: we teach spiritual things spiritually. An unspiritual person is one who does not accept anything of the Spirit of God: he sees it all as nonsense; it is beyond his understanding because it can only be understood by means of the Spirit. A spiritual man, on the other hand, is able to judge the value of everything, and his own value is not to be judged by other men. As scripture says: Who can know the mind of the Lord, so who can teach him? But we are those who have the mind of Christ.
Responsorial Psalm 144(145):8-14
The Lord is just in all his ways.
The Lord is kind and full of compassion,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
How good is the Lord to all,
compassionate to all his creatures.
The Lord is just in all his ways.
All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,
and your friends shall repeat their blessing.
They shall speak of the glory of your reign
and declare your might, O God,
to make known to men your mighty deeds
and the glorious splendour of your reign.
The Lord is just in all his ways.
Yours is an everlasting kingdom;
your rule lasts from age to age.
The Lord is faithful in all his words
and loving in all his deeds.
The Lord supports all who fall
and raises all who are bowed down.
The Lord is just in all his ways.
Gospel Luke 4:31-37
‘I know who you are: the Holy One of God’
Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath. And his teaching made a deep impression on them because he spoke with authority.
In the synagogue there was a man who was possessed by the spirit of an unclean devil, and it shouted at the top of its voice, ‘Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus said sharply, ‘Be quiet! Come out of him!’ And the devil, throwing the man down in front of everyone, went out of him without hurting him at all. Astonishment seized them and they were all saying to one another, ‘What teaching! He gives orders to unclean spirits with authority and power and they come out.’ And reports of him went all through the surrounding countryside.
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To have the mind of Christ
“But we are those who have the mind of Christ” (1st reading). Our minds are powerful because our thoughts shape who we are and who we will become, how we live our lives each day, and how we relate to others. If our minds are filled with comments such as “You are not good enough” from others and we constantly repeat these words, they become deeply ingrained in our consciousness and influence how we perceive ourselves. Thus, the Book of Proverbs says: “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts” (Proverbs 4:23). Let us conform our minds to Christ’s by praying on His word, allowing it to shape our thoughts, transform our perspectives and thus, change the way we live each day.
What is the mind of Christ like? In today’s gospel, we can see that Jesus’ mind and heart are always focused on loving and seeking the good of others. Today, let us ask Jesus for His grace to work in us so that we can live rooted in God’s love and be motivated to love others.
Reflective question:
How can I live today with the mind of Christ?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year B” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.
