Daily Scripture Reflection & Prayer: February 27, 2025

Date: Thursday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time

Scripture Text: Mark 9:41-50

Jesus said to his disciples:

"Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink

because you belong to Christ,

amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.

"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,

it would be better for him if a great millstone

were put around his neck

and he were thrown into the sea.

If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.

It is better for you to enter into life maimed

than with two hands to go into Gehenna,

into the unquenchable fire.

And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.

It is better for you to enter into life crippled

than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.

And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.

Better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye

than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,

where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

"Everyone will be salted with fire.

Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid,

with what will you restore its flavor?

Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another."

Breaking the text open – background and summary:

Today’s gospel text brings us multiple sayings of Jesus from the Gospel of Mark. In the first, Jesus promises to reward anyone treats another with loving kindness for love of Christ. In the second series of saying, Jesus cautions us to remove that in our lives that cause us to sin even those things we deem necessary because the only true essential is life in loving relationship with our LORD and one another. The last saying of Jesus reminds us to “salt” or preserve our loving goodness even in difficult times when we are refined by “fire” and made more pure and holy.

Meditating on the text with personal questions:

What am I doing with my life? What am I making of this gift given to me? Am I acting for love of Christ? Or am I hanging on to the unnecessary and losing the essential?

Praying:

LORD, I love You. I seek to love You well and always, yet I often fail. Send your Spirit to kindle in me the fire of your love to purify my mind, heart, and being so that I might more perfectly love You and love others as You desire. Amen.