PURIFY YOUR CONSCIENCE…

Hebrews 9:2-3,11-14
2 For a tent was prepared, the outer one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence; it is called the Holy Place.3 Behind the second curtain stood a tent called the Holy of Holies,
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)12 he entered once for all into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves but his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.13 For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh,14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Mark 3:20-21

20 and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat.21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for people were saying, “He is beside himself.”

MEDITATION 

THE HEBREW writer makes the salient pivotal observation that Christ desired good things for all His followers when once for all (Rm 6:10) time, He entered into the Holy of Holies to gift us with heavenly good things. Christs once off Sacrifice replaced the annual animal sacrificial practice with a more perfect daily Sacrifice (1Cor 11:25) offering us the privilege to eat and drink His flesh and blood, a Eucharistic offering that sanctify and purify man’s compromised soul and conscience!

THE GOSPEL READING: On completion of nominating and or confering the twelve, Jesus went down the mount to feed the crowd. At the jucture of handing out the food neither the crowd nor Christ could consume the bread, when His demeanor violently changed, causing Him to shudder; loose His composure such that some family members took custody of Him. 

It is patently obvious that the Spirit revealed to Christ that one of the chosen disciples was to betray Him! To be sure, Christ did not publicize His thoughts, however at the Last Supper in the Upper Room He publicly raised the matter hoping the dubious Apostle would reverse his evil motives. But alas, after executing his dastardly deed, Judas committed suicide instead of submitting to Christ Jesus. Each time we knowingly and intentionally commit a grave sin we compromise the state of our soul, foreshadowing dangerous consequences. We who are convulsed, because we have compromised God’s commandments by sinning, will find it impossible to reach a ‘modus vivendi’,unless we do an examination of our conscience; approach the confessional to allow the Prince of the people to free us from being seized by Satan!

LET US PRAY: Psalms 47:2-3, 6-9

2 For the LORD, the Most High, is terrible, a great king over all the earth.3 He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet.6 Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm!8 God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.
9 The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted!

Commentary. Henry R SYLVESTER Note: The daily scripture readings are taken from the Roman Missal which the Catholic Church use in the daily Celebration of the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.Some weekly readings may differ because of the celebration of local feast days.