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Catholic Church / Pacoima, CA

Sins Against the Truth

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.”Ps. 126

Jesus is the truth (light) because He reveals the truth, which is incompatible with lies (darkness). Therefore, all followers of Jesus should be lovers of the truth, and in this world, this requires a daily search and a constant effort of discernment. The darkness of lies constantly seeks a crack through which to enter our minds, contaminating them and distancing us from the beauty and splendor of the truth. He came to GIVE SIGHT TO THE BLIND.

In this search and discernment, we have the Spirit of truth, which is why Jesus called it that. It is the truth that makes us free from the darkness of sin, which is always rooted in lies. Therefore, we must love and seek it continuously. This task will lead us to avoid the following common mistakes against the light, through which many lies and deceptions infiltrate, always bringing division and destruction.

  • ASSUMING: It is daring to believe in something of which one cannot be sure yet accepting it as true. In a very high percentage, we let error enter and make mistakes by assuming.
  • BELIEVING IN SUSPICIONS: Any idea or possibility can come to mind, and often negative ideas and erroneous suspicions arise. Many easily accept them uncritically as true.
  • GOING WITH PREJUDICES: Similarly, prejudices based on someone’s skin color, way of speaking, being, or dressing often lead you to make erroneous judgments that you should not accept as true or allow to influence you.
  • ACTING AS A FORTUNE-TELLER: We think a lot, and many ideas and possibilities come to us, but we must accept our limitations and not act as fortune-tellers, as errors will be more frequent than correct judgments.
  • CREDULITY: Many naively believe everything at first glance, and unfortunately, there are lies everywhere, sometimes without ill intent, but due to the same credulity that led them to swallow these lies whole and spread them. We should not believe without sufficient grounds.
  • BEING UNCRITICAL: Many do not discern the truth because they do not contrast it with a critical sense that we should have, so as not to accept absurd, irrational, and ridiculous beliefs that many easily accept, offending the truth and allowing lies to enter.
  • NOT SEEKING IT: “You will find me if you seek me with all your heart,” says God. Likewise, the truth is found only by those who love it and seek it sincerely, without bias or prejudice, contrasting voices and ideas from diverse angles.

In summary, we must apply the wise saying: to foolish words, deaf ears. This foolishness do not only come from others, but very often arise from our own minds, which we should disregard and ignore out of love for God and our neighbors.

Weekly Readings

Sunday: Jer 31:7-9/Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6 (3)/Heb 5:1-6/Mk 10:46-52
Monday: Eph 2:19-22/Ps 19:2-3, 4-5/Lk 6:12-16
Tuesday: Eph 5:21-33/Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5/Lk 13:18-21
Wednesday: Eph 6:1-9/Ps 145:10-11, 12-13ab, 13cd-14/Lk 13:22-30
Thursday: Eph 6:10-20/Ps 144:1b, 2, 9-10/Lk 13:31-35
Friday: Rv 7:2-4, 9-14/Ps 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6/1 Jn 3:1-3/Mt 5:1-12a
Saturday: Wis 4:7-14/Ps 25:6, and 7b, 17-18, 20-21/Rom 5:17-21/Mt 11:25-30
Next Sunday: Dt 6:2-6/Ps 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51 (2)/Heb 7:23-28/Mk 12:28b-34

Observances for the Week

Sunday: 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Monday: Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles
Thursday: All Hallow’s Eve
Friday: All Saints
Next Sunday: 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time; Daylight Time Saving Ends; National Vocation Awareness

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