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Weekday
James 1:19-27
Psalm 15:2-3A, 3BC-4AB, 5
Mark 8:22-26
Summary
A call to serve is the common thread throughout today˅s reading. We are com-
manded to ˈbe doers of the word and not hearers onlyˉ. The Psalmist exclaims,
ˈWho shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord?ˉ The response is those who do
justice and care for those in need. Lastly, the Gospel reminds us of Jesus˅ love
and compassion for those in need.
Reflection
Every Sunday we attend mass, listen to the Homily, participate in Eucharist, and
go home. Seems straightforward, right? Not quite.
James clarifies our responsibility as we listen to the Word of God on Sundays.
First, we need to be ˈquick to hearˉ and ˈhumbly welcome the wordˉ. If God˅s
Word is to have a meaningful impact in our heart and soul, there must be an in-
clination, eagerness, and readiness to listen. This is what James is calling for us
to do. It is possible to have good hearing, but be hard of listening. We may
ˈhearˉ the words, but not really ˈhear what they meanˉ. We are called to have an
attentive heart. So, what do we do with this attentive heart?
ˈBe doers of the word and not hearers onlyˉ. James urges our attentive hearts
into action. Jesus tells us that if we hear the Word and do not put it into practice,
we build our lives on the sand, and when the storms of life come, our lives will
fall apart (Matt. 7:24-27).
My wife and I decided it was important to move our family and live closer to
where we worship. Therefore, we decided to pack up and move (infant and tod-
dler included) from Upland to Alhambra. We went from 50 minutes to 5 minutes
away from Holy Family. What a change! We are now more active at Holy Family
than ever before. Why do I share this? As a family, we heard a calling to serve. If