Word of the day

A reading from the Letter of James
Jas 1:12-18

Blessed is he who perseveres in temptation,
for when he has been proven he will receive the crown of life
that he promised to those who love him.
No one experiencing temptation should say,
“I am being tempted by God”;
for God is not subject to temptation to evil,
and he himself tempts no one.
Rather, each person is tempted when lured and enticed by his desire.
Then desire conceives and brings forth sin,
and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters:
all good giving and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.
He willed to give us birth by the word of truth
that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

From the Gospel according to Mark
Mk 8:14-21

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread,
and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out,
guard against the leaven of the Pharisees
and the leaven of Herod.”
They concluded among themselves that
it was because they had no bread.
When he became aware of this he said to them,
“Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?
And do you not remember,
when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,
how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?”
They answered him, “Twelve.”
“When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand,
how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?”
They answered him, “Seven.”
He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

“This leaven, says Jesus, is danger. Watch out! It is hypocrisy. Jesus does not tolerate hypocrisy: this one seems good, with a good upbringing, but with wicked habits within.

“The other people are the Christians: We should be Christians, because there are also hypocritical Christians, who do not accept the leaven of the Holy Spirit. That is why Jesus warns us, “Beware the leaven of the Pharisees.” The leaven of Christians is the Holy Spirit, who pushes us to go forth, who makes us grow, with all the difficulties of the journey, even with all the sins, but always with hope. The Holy Spirit is precisely the pledge of that hope, of that praise, of that joy.” (Homily from Santa Marta, 19 October 2018)