Blessed Virgin Mary 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Romans 8: 1-11

This contradiction no longer exists for those who are in Jesus Christ.

 For, in Jesus Christ, the law of the Spirit of life has set me free from the law of sin and death.  The Law was without effect because flesh was not responding. Then God, planning to destroy sin, sent his own Son, in the likeness of those subject to the sinful human condition; by doing this, he condemned the sin in this human condition.

 Since then the perfection intended by the Law would be fulfilled in those not walking in the way of the flesh, but in the way of the Spirit. Those walking according to the flesh tend towards what is flesh; those led by the spirit, to what is spirit.  

Flesh tends towards death, while spirit aims at life and peace.  What the flesh seeks is against God: it does not agree, it cannot even submit to the law of God.  So, those walking according to the flesh cannot please God.

Yet your existence is not in the flesh, but in the spirit, because the Spirit of God is within you. If you did not have the Spirit of Christ, you would not belong to him.   But Christ is within you; though the body is branded by death as a consequence of sin, the spirit is life and holiness.

And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is within you, He who raised Jesus Christ from among the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies. Yes, he will do it through his Spirit who dwells within you.

 

Ps 24 Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Luke 13: 1-9

One day some persons told Jesus what had occurred in the Temple: Pilate had had Galileans killed and their blood mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.  Jesus asked them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this?

 I tell you: no. But unless you change your ways, you will all perish as they did. And those eighteen persons in Siloah who were crushed when the tower fell, do you think they were more guilty than all the others in Jerusalem?  I tell you: no. But unless you change your ways, you will all perish as they did.”

And Jesus continued, “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard and he came looking for fruit on it, but found none.   Then he said to the gardener: ‘Look here, for three years now I have been looking for figs on this tree and I have found none.

Cut it down, why should it continue to deplete the soil? The gardener replied: ‘Leave it one more year, so that I may dig around it and add some fertilizer; perhaps it will bear fruit from now on. But if it doesn’t, you can cut it down.”

 

Reflection gospel：

“BUT UNLESS YOU CHANGE YOUR WAYS, YOU WILL ALL PERISH. “

Earlier, “publish or perish” became the hashtag  of many universities. This is because tertiary educators are required to do research and publish. The consequence when this requirement is not complied with is of course to “perish,” meaning, to be out of the academe.

It is argued that such a requirement is unreasonable and is unmindful of consequent inconveniences added to the already loaded responsibilities of teachers. But the education sector stood on its ground asserting that this has always been part of the conditions for college teachers.

“Publish or perish” is an intimidating phrase. But more frightening is “change your ways (repent) or perish.” The Lord has indeed more serious demands. that is why one author said that Christianity is not for the weak of heart but for the strong.It is only for those who can rise up to the challenge, to truly change their ways, and become productive as the Lord expects.

And we cannot argue that this is unreasonable and that this adds more difficulty to our already difficult life. We were not coerced to become Christians. We made that choice. At that time that following Jesus became our decision, we knew the expectation.