MASOMO YA MISA

  MASS READINGS  Reading I 1 Kgs 21:17-29 After the death of Naboth the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite: “Start down to meet Ahab, king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He will be in the vineyard of Naboth, of which he has come to take possession. This is what you shall tell him, ‘The LORD says: After murdering, do you also take possession? For this, the LORD says: In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, the dogs shall lick up your blood, too.’” Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me out, my enemy?” “Yes,” he answered. “Because you have given yourself up to doing evil in the LORD’s sight, I am bringing evil upon you: I will destroy you and will cut off every male in Ahab’s line, whether slave or freeman, in Israel. I will make your house like that of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, and like that of Baasha, son of Ahijah, because of how you have provoked me by leading Israel into sin.” (Against Jezebel, too, the LORD declared, “The dogs shall devour Jezebel in the ...

 MASS READINGS MONDAY JUNE 13,2022 First reading 1 Kings 21:1-16 Naboth of Jezreel had a vineyard close by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria, and Ahab said to Naboth, ‘Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden since it adjoins my house; I will give you a better vineyard for it or, if you prefer, I will give you its worth in money.’ But Naboth answered Ahab, ‘The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors!’   Ahab went home gloomy and out of temper at the words of Naboth of Jezreel, ‘I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.’ He lay down on his bed and turned his face away and refused to eat. His wife Jezebel came to him. ‘Why are you so dispirited’ she said ‘that you will not eat?’ He said, ‘I have been speaking to Naboth of Jezreel; I said: “Give me your vineyard either for money or, if you prefer, for another vineyard in exchange.” But he said, “I will not give you my vineyard.”’ Then his wife Jezebel said, ‘You make a fine king o...

OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD “Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth”, was instructed by God for the judges of Israel as a method of administering fair and equitable criminal justice. Our nature demands justice for the wrongs committed against us. Our natural instinct is to get equal; to react in a revengeful way towards the ones who hurt us, so they too may feel our pain. It is easier to forgive when they recognize their fault and ask for forgiveness. It is not easy to let go or forgive when those who offend us have little to no remorse over sins they have committed, reject owning their sin, have no desire to truly change, and continue their pattern of abuse with no consideration or contrition for damages caused. Earlier in his preaching, Jesus affirms that he did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them (Mt 5:17). Jesus had no issue with the law, but because he knew the man was using it for personal revenge and punishment inflicted as vengeance, he flipped the script ...