2 Samuel 11:27, Sirach 5:1-8, Mark 9:41-50, Psalm 1:1-4, 6

Daily Mass Readings: Sirach 5:1-8, Mark 9:41-50, Psalm 1:1-4, 6

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2 Samuel 11:27
27When the time of mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house and she became his wife; then she bore him a son But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD. 

 Beloved, David had not only sinned by coveting Uriah's wife but he went the whole nine yards.  He first sinned through his senses, then after entertaining the sin in his mind he planned to take the evil further.  It would have been more honest if he had slain Uriah himself, but he sneakily sent him to lead the battle in the thick of the fray where he knew he would be mowed down by the enemy and killed.  He could then pretend that his hands were not crimson with blood when he took Bathsheba for his wife.  We have to pay the price for our sins always, if not immediately, then later at a time of God's choosing, the day of reckoning will arrive as surely as dusk follows dawn.  There are always terrible consequences for grave sin;  David lost the son that Bathsheba bore him.  But God loved him anyway and sent a prophet to reveal the depth to which he had sunk.  Once David became aware of  his sin he was contrite, he repented, he made reparation and with it came forgiveness, healing and restoration.

This is how You deal with each one of us my Lord.  Thank You.

Sirach 5:4-7
4 Do not say, “I have sinned and nothing has happened!” For the Lord bides his time.
5 Do not be so sure of pardon when you are heaping sin upon sin. 6 Do not say, “His compassion is great! He will forgive the vast number of my sins!” For with him is mercy but also anger; his fury will be poured out on sin­ners.
7 Do not delay your return to the Lord, do not put it off from day to day. For suddenly the anger of the Lord will blaze forth and you will perish on the day of reckoning.

Mark 9:41-50

41 If anyone gives you a drink of water because you belong to Christ and bear his name, truly, I say to you, he will not go without reward.

• 42 If anyone should cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble and sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a great millstone around his neck.

43 If your hand makes you fall into sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life without a hand than with two hands to go to hell, to the fire that never goes out. 45 And if your foot makes you fall into sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life without a foot than with both feet to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye makes you fall into sin, tear it out! It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than, keeping both eyes, to be thrown into hell 48 where the worms that eat them never die, and the fire never goes out. 49 The fire itself will preserve them.

50 Salt is a good thing; but if it loses its salt­iness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another.”

Beloved, as Your brothers and sisters, we have to look out for one another and we must be the source of refreshment to the other.  You warn us of the gravity of causing another to sin and of committing sin ourselves.  Sin is offensive to You and we have to rid ourselves of the things, places, people or occasions that lead to sin.  No matter what the cost may be.

There is a heaven as there is a  hell no matter what radical liberals may say.  There is a fire that never goes out - that is the sobering truth.  In Your mercy grant that I may never lose the salt that lends savor to the world for Your glory.