FRIDAY OF THE TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - Mt 5:27-32 - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

"Everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Mt 5:28)

READING OF THE DAY

A reading from the First Book of Kings

1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-16

At the mountain of God, Horeb,

Elijah came to a cave, where he took shelter.

But the word of the LORD came to him,

"Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD;

the LORD will be passing by."

A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains

and crushing rocks before the LORD—

but the LORD was not in the wind.

After the wind there was an earthquake—

but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

After the earthquake there was fire—

but the LORD was not in the fire.

After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.

When he heard this,

Elijah hid his face in his cloak

and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.

A voice said to him, "Elijah, why are you here?"

He replied, "I have been most zealous for the LORD,

the God of hosts.

But the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant,

torn down your altars,

and put your prophets to the sword.

I alone am left, and they seek to take my life."

The LORD said to him,

"Go, take the road back to the desert near Damascus.

When you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king of Aram.

Then you shall anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, as king of Israel,

and Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah,

as prophet to succeed you."

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Matthew

Mt 5:27-32

Jesus said to his disciples:

"You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery.

But I say to you,

everyone who looks at a woman with lust

has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

If your right eye causes you to sin,

tear it out and throw it away.

It is better for you to lose one of your members

than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.

And if your right hand causes you to sin,

cut it off and throw it away.

It is better for you to lose one of your members

than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.

"It was also said,

Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.

But I say to you,

whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful)

causes her to commit adultery,

and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery."

FRIDAY OF THE TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - Mt 5:27-32

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

In today's Word of God, God the Father teaches us how humans must live to become better and more perfect before God the Father.

God the Father invites people to remember His Words and put them into practice, demonstrated through their daily lifestyle when facing Satan's temptations. Satan will create very subtle schemes that humans cannot perceive so that they will cause people to stumble and displease God the Father.

The Word of God the Father instructs people today: people must be alert to Satan's temptations of lust and protect their souls and bodies from all stains of sin. Every desire right from the thought and soul will come out in action. God the Father tells people that: every bad thought from the soul, any action against God the Father is a sin, a temptation from Satan when humans do not have the ability to resist Satan from within.

God the Father invites people to ask for the power of the Holy Spirit to be alert to the very subtle temptations of Satan, and to resist temptations that come from within the mind. God the Father does not want people to fall into Satan's traps. The trap is: that Satan deceives humanity into thinking that action must be taken to be considered a sin that displeases God the Father. But no! The Word of God today teaches people that sins always come from the mind. If people do not resist them but give in to the temptations of passion and lust from within their thoughts, allowing them to linger in their beings, over time they will eventually come to act and commit a sin that displeases God the Father.

God the Father invites people today to stay awake to ask for the gift of discernment, to ask for the gift of strength against Satan's temptations, against the desires that they bring starting within the mind. Always live in close association with God the Father, stay by His side to listen and carry out the commandments that God the Father teaches, and then our bodies and souls will become pure, bright, and beautiful before God the Father. This is the love of a Father, for all humanity through the teachings of Jesus Christ, for people in the world today:

- Eliminate sinful acts and stop giving in to fleshly passions tempted by Satan.

- Resist Satan by obeying God the Father's will at all times and places; fear Him and love Him according to the example of God the Father's only Son.

Thanks be to God. Amen