Ecclesiasticus 5:1-8 / Mark 9:41-50
Time is what we want most. Yet, time is also what we waste most.
The irony is that the more time we have, the more time we will waste.
By and large, we think that we have a long future ahead of us.
We think that there will always be a tomorrow. Yet, that is not a certainty.
That is why the 1st reading urges us not to delay our return to the Lord and not to put it off day after day.
The last line of today's gospel passage gives us an aspect of our lives to think about.
Jesus said: Be at peace with one another.
More than just the need for reconciliation with those whom we have crossed swords with, the more urgent need is to stop hurting others and being a pain to others, whether it is with our words or actions.
Jesus tells us to cut off our hurtful and sinful words and actions because in the end we will have to pay the debt of our sins.
Let us ask the Lord to cleanse our hearts for from the bounty of the heart, the mouth speaks and the hands act.
Let us also ask the Lord to grant us His peace so that we will live in peace with the Lord and with one another.
Let us not delay. Let us do it now. In a way, it is now or never.