St. LAWRENCE was born in Spain,

This holy martyr, in the first half of the 3rd century, is marked by piety and charity.

Pope Sixtus II entrusted him with the care of the archdiocese. As the deacon responsible for charitable activities in the diocese of Rome,

Saint Lawrence administered goods and catered to the needs of orphans, widows, and the poor generally.

Saint Lawrence was burnt on a gridiron. Saint Lawrence’s martyrdom is a supreme testament to love.

 

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

2 Corinthians 9:6-10

Remember: the one

Who sows meagerly will reap meagerly, and there shall be generous harvests for the one who sows generously. Each of you should give as you decided personally, and not reluctantly, as if obliged. God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to fill you with every good thing, so that you have enough of everything, at all times, and may give abundantly for any good work.

 

Scripture says: He distributed, he gave to the poor, his good works last forever. God, who provides the sower with seed, will also provide him with the bread he eats. He will multiply the seed for you and also increase the interest or your good works.

 

Ps 112:1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9 Blessed the man who fears the Lord.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

John 12:24-26

Truly, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. 

Those who love their life destroy it, and those who despise their life in this world save it even to everlasting life.

Whoever wants to serve me, let him follow me; and wherever I am, there shall my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"To die to ourselves."

What we have reflected on yesterday highlighted Jesus' selfless giving of himself. Today's Gospel, from the Gospel of John, accentuated the same message graphically. What can be more graphic to convey a message of dying to oneself in order to bear fruit than an imagery of a grain of wheat falling to the ground in order to produce more grains? In today's Gospel passage, Jesus told this paradoxical message to his listeners.

 

Jesus was referring to himself and to his selfless offering of himself so that others may live. As followers of Jesus, we are called to die to ourselves so that others may live. Our world today is characterized by a strong tendency toward self-preservation. However, we may further reflect on the imagery of seeds.

 

If we try to put seeds inside a glass container in order to preserve them instead of allowing them to be buried under the soil, these seeds will eventually rot. They will be wasted. Our life is similar to seeds. For our life to be fruitful, we first need to die to ourselves. The more we try to preserve our own life, the more it will decay. Jesus' true followers follow his ways of dying for others.