Integrity

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/061717.cfm) reminds me that I should have integrity and honor God with my words. 

They say to have integrity is to say what you mean, and mean what you say. This is what God wants from us. 

God wants us to honor our word. To be true to our word. Talk is cheap so he wants us to back it up with actions. He wants our words to be consistent with our actions - in our worldly life and our spiritual life. 

When we give our word, when we say something, God wants us to mean it, to do our best to keep it, to honor it, and to stick to it. In worldly life this is important, but more so in spiritual life. When we say we love God and we want to follow him, we should be ready to live it. God expects us to live it - that we be willing to die of ourselves and our selfish desires, and allow God to live through us. 

We honor God through our words. When we do what we say, and say what we do, we are witnessing for God. Our honesty and integrity would remind people how honest and straight God is. Our being faithful to what we say reminds people that God is faithful. Everything, no matter how simple it may be, if done for God, glorifies and honors God.

May we always be true to our word and testify God's goodness and greatness. 

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another weekend. Thank you for another chance to experience your love. Lord i thank you for reminding me how important to you my word is. I am sorry for the times I am not true to my word. sorry for the times I do not keep my word. sorry for the times I tell you I love you, but do not live it. Help me live a life consistent with my words. Help me be true to my word. help me honor you with my words. May the way I honor my word remind people of your love, greatness and honor. Amen. 

Blessed weekend!

In Christ,

-g-

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June 17, 2017
Saturday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 364

Reading 12 COR 5:14-21

Brothers and sisters:
The love of Christ impels us,
once we have come to the conviction that one died for all;
therefore, all have died.
He indeed died for all,
so that those who live might no longer live for themselves
but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh;
even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh,
yet now we know him so no longer.
So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come.
And all this is from God,
who has reconciled us to himself through Christ
and given us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting their trespasses against them
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
So we are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Responsorial PsalmPS 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12

R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes. 
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us. 
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

AlleluiaPS 119:36A, 29B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees;
and favor me with your law.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelMT 5:33-37

Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
Do not take a false oath,
but make good to the Lord all that you vow.
But I say to you, do not swear at all;
not by heaven, for it is God's throne;
nor by the earth, for it is his footstool;
nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Do not swear by your head,
for you cannot make a single hair white or black.
Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.'

Anything more is from the Evil One."