First Scrutiny of the Elect 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Exodus 17:1-17 (or Exodus 17:3-7)

  God spoke all these words.  

 He said, “I am Yahweh your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.  Do not have other gods before me.  Do not make yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything in heaven, or on the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them.

For I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God; for the sin of the fathers, when they rebel against me, I punish the sons, the grandsons and the great-grandsons; but I show steadfast love until the thousandth generation for those who love me and keep my commandments.

 Do not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain for Yahweh will not leave unpunished anyone who takes his name in vain.  Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. For six days you will labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath for Yahweh your God.

Do not work that day, neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter nor your servants, men or women, nor your animals, nor the stranger who is staying with you. For in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.

But on the seventh day he rested; that is why Yahweh has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.  Honor your father and your mother that you may have a long life in the land that Yahweh has given you.

 Do not kill.  Do not commit adultery.  Do not steal. Do not give false witness against your neighbor.  Do not covet your neigh­bor’s house. Do not covet your neigh­bor’s wife, or his servant, man or woman, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is his.”

 

Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11 (or Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9)

Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

 

＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

1Corinthians 1:22-25  (or Romans 5:1-2, 5-8)

The Jews ask for miracles and the Greeks for a higher knowledge, while we proclaim a crucified Messiah. For the Jews, what a great scandal! And for the Greeks, what nonsense! But he is Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God for those called by God among both Jews and Greeks.

 In reality, the “foolishness” of God is wiser than humans, and the “weakness” of God is stronger than humans.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Gospel Reflection：

Read:

Jesus is in Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. He got angry seeing the vicinity of the Temple being turned into a commercial space. He drove out the merchants and money lenders. Jesus’ action is later understood by His disciples in he light of His Resurrection.

Reflect:

Jesus got angry at the robust commerce that sprang around the Temple of Jerusalem. After all, at any given day, more so during the Sabbath, the Temple attracts a lot of faithful.

Because of this, the Temple authorities made use of the Courts of Gentile as a commercial space. The Temple must have earned huge sums of money for its rent.

More so, some enterprising priests who inspect the offered animals brought by the people have reasons to reject the offering because of imagined blemish. The people in turn will be forced to buy from animal sellers who charges exorbitant fees for their goods.

These sellers will forward the priests’ share of the cost for facilitating the sale afterwards. This is not a secret. Everyvody knows but nobody has the strength to confront the system. That is, until Jesus comes along. He criticized the commerce arising from the devotion of people.

He reminds everyone that the Temple is a house of prayer. Because of this, he placed Himself in the line of danger. He now confronts the religious authorities who tolerated this happening in the Temple itself.

Respond:

When we are in sacred places, let us put premium to the encounter of God and set aside our mentality to do commerce. Even our prayers must be devoid of anything that smacks of making transaction with God.

we don’t have to do it. God knows what we need. So no coercion of God go do something for the promised number of novenas we will make, the candles we will light, and the masses or donations we will offer as long as He answers our petition. We don’t have to trade anyting to receive God’s grace.