Tuesday October 24 Week 29 in Ordinary Time
Romans 5:12,15,17-21
Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned; but the gift itself considerably outweighed the fall. If it is certain that through one man’s fall so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming through the one man, Jesus Christ, came to so many as an abundant free gift. If it is certain that death reigned over everyone as the consequence of one man’s fall, it is even more certain that one man, Jesus Christ, will cause everyone to reign in life who receives the free gift that he does not deserve, of being made righteous. Again, as one man’s fall brought condemnation on everyone, so the good act of one man brings everyone life and makes them justified. As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous. When law came, it was to multiply the opportunities of failing, but however great the number of sins committed, grace was even greater; and so, just as sin reigned wherever there was death, so grace will reign to bring eternal life thanks to the righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Psalm 39 Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Luke 12:35-38
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘See that you are dressed for action and have your lamps lit. Be like men waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks. Happy those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. I tell you solemnly, he will put on an apron, sit them down at table and wait on them. It may be in the second watch he comes, or in the third, but happy those servants if he finds them ready.’
Reflection
On living Integrity.
1. Define Your Values. Living your life with integrity means to live following your set of beliefs, even when doing so makes your life more difficult.
2. Value Honesty. Integrity means nothing when trust has been lost. This is why we should greatly value honesty.
3. Be Authentic. Authenticity goes hand in hand with honesty. Being authentic involves being honest with and true to yourself. Authenticity means harmony between our inner values and our actions, expressed through our unique personality.
4. Speak Out for injustice. Edmund Burke once said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Having integrity makes it our responsibility to speak out for injustice.
5. Do Your Best Work. Having integrity means doing your best work. It means not cutting corners when no one is looking. Integrity while working also means taking ownership and responsibility for your mistakes.
6. Seek Truth. In today’s world, truth is harder and harder to come by, as every platform has an agenda. It is our responsibility to actively seek the truth. We should always try to get to the bottom of things and get as close to the truth as possible.
Living with integrity means putting our values into action.
Riflessione (italiano):
1. Definire i propri valori. Vivere la propria vita con integrità significa vivere seguendo le proprie convinzioni, anche quando ciò rende la vita più difficile.
2. Dare valore all’onestà. L’integrità non significa nulla quando la fiducia viene meno. Ecco perché dovremmo dare grande valore all’onestà.
3. Essere autentici. L’autenticità va di pari passo con l’onestà. Essere autentici significa essere onesti e fedeli a se stessi. Autenticità significa armonia tra i nostri valori interiori e le nostre azioni, espresse attraverso la nostra personalità unica.
4. Parlare per l’ingiustizia. Edmund Burke disse: “L’unica cosa necessaria per il trionfo del male è che gli uomini buoni non facciano nulla”. L’integrità ci impone di denunciare le ingiustizie.
5. Fare il proprio lavoro al meglio. Avere integrità significa fare il proprio lavoro al meglio. Significa non tagliare gli angoli quando nessuno guarda. Integrità nel lavoro significa anche assumersi la responsabilità dei propri errori.
6. Cercare la verità. Nel mondo di oggi, la verità è sempre più difficile da trovare, perché ogni piattaforma ha un programma. È nostra responsabilità cercare attivamente la verità. Dobbiamo sempre cercare di andare a fondo delle cose e di avvicinarci il più possibile alla verità.
Vivere con integrità significa mettere in pratica i nostri valori.