Blessed Virgin Mary                                                                       

 St. Pontian, pope & martyr & 

 St. Hippolytus, priest & martyr 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊ 

Ezekiel 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32

The word of Yahweh

Came to me in these terms,  “Why are you applying this proverb to the land of Israel: ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge?’

As I live, word of Yahweh, this proverb will no longer be quoted in Israel.  All life is in my hands, the life of the parent and the life of the child are mine. The lives of both are in my hands, so the one who sins will die.

 Imagine a man who is right­eous and practices what is just and right. He does not eat in the mountain shrines, or look towards the filthy idols of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife, or have intercourse with a woman during her period;

He molests no one, pays what he owes, does not steal, gives food to the hungry and clothes to the naked,  demands no interest on a loan and doesn’t lend for interest, refrains from injustice, practices true justice, man to man,  follows my decrees and obeys my laws in acting loyally. Because such a man is truly righteous, he will live, word of Yahweh.

But perhaps this man has a son who steals and sheds blood, committing crimes which his father never did.   Demands interest on a loan, even practices usury. Will such a man live? No, he will not! Because he has committed all these abominations he will die: his guilt will fall upon him.

That is why I will judge you, Israel, each one according to his ways, word of Yahweh. Come back, turn away from your offenses, that you may not deserve punishment.

Free yourselves from all the offenses you have com­mitted and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, Israel?   I do not want the death of anyone, word of Yahweh, but that you be converted and live!”

 

Ps 51:12-13, 14-15, 18-19

Create a clean heart in me, O God.

 

  ＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Matthew 19:13-15

Then little children were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them with a prayer. But the disciples scolded those who brought them.  Jesus then said, “Let them be! Do not stop the children from coming to me, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to people such as these.”  So Jesus laid his hands on them and went his way.

 

Gospel Reflection：

 Blessing children

“Let the children be!” must ring aloud repeatedly as a command in the conscience of the modern world for many reasons, starting with the issue of abortion and all the way to the issue of climate change.

The world seems to have the attitude of the disciples in today’s story; children are a nuisance to the adult world. One who chooses abortion does so because the baby in the womb, for whatever reason, has become a hindrance and nuisance to one’s peaceful life.

We force-fit students to a kind of education system that is meant to shape the world after our own desires and projects. We recklessly use up the resources of the world with no care for its impact on ecology and thereby leave our children with a world that is nearly impossible to live in.

Jesus laid hands on children and blessed them. We can also reach out and bless our children by counting in their interests and future.

 

"Fly to the Catholic Church! Adhere to the only faith which continues to exist from the beginning,

that faith which was preached by Paul and is upheld by the Chair of Peter."

                                                                                                                                                                                         ~ ~  ST. HIPPOLYTUS  ~ ~