St. Pontian, PoPe  & martyr & St. Hippolytus, Priest  & martyr 

＊＊＊1st Reading＊＊＊

 Deuteronomy 31: 1-8

 When Moses finished telling all Israel these words,

he said, “I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I can no longer deal with anything – Remember that Yahweh told me that I shall not cross the Jordan River.  Now Joshua shall be at your head, as Yahweh has said. He, your God, will go before you to destroy these nations before you, and you will drive them away.

 Yahweh shall deal with these cities as he dealt with Sihon and Og, the Amo­rite kings, and their land, which he destroyed.   So when he has given these nations over to you, you shall do the same, according to what I have commanded you.  Be valiant and strong, do not fear or trem­ble before them for Yahweh, your God, is with you; he will not leave you or abandon you.”

 After this, Moses called Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel: “Be valiant and strong, you shall go with this people into the land which Yahweh swore to their ancestors he would give them and you shall give it to them as their possession.  Yahweh shall go before you. He shall be with you; he shall not leave you or abandon you. Do not fear, then, or be discouraged.”

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Matthew 18: 1-5,10, 12-14

 At that time the disciples came to Je­sus and asked him, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  Then Jesus called a little child, set the child in the midst of the disciples,  and said, “I assure you that unless you change and become like little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.   Whoever becomes humble, like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven,  and whoever receives such a child in my name receives me. See that you do not despise any of these little ones, for I tell you: their angels in heaven continually see the face of my heavenly Father.

What do you think of this? If some­­one has a hundred sheep and one of them strays, won’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hillside, and go to look for the stray one?  And I tell you: when he finally finds it, he is more pleased about it than about the ninety-nine that did not go astray. It is the same with your Father in heaven: your Father In heaven doesn’t want even one of these little ones to perish.

 

Reflection gospel：

“WHOEVER BECOMES HUMBLE, LIKE THIS CHILD.”

Why did Jesus set the childlike humility as the measure of greatness and the requisite to be able to enter of heaven? It is because childlike humility does not have any pretentions. It fully recognizes the self as being inadequate to do simple and great things. It sees beyond itself a power behind all achievements and all undertakings. It does not see itself as the originator; it points to something else that is greater.

And so, it does not usurp the credit. Childlike humility does not seek recognition for accomplishments. It does not need social status and power; it is at peace with being what it is. It strips one’s self of those things that make one arrogant and conceited. Without this childlike humility we will look down on others and God is situated at the periphery of life and human affairs, to the point of not being there at all.

Jesus is out of the picture. Childlike humility brings Jesus back into the picture. It locates Jesus at the center, the source, and the goal of all actions. This is precisely why it is the ticket to enter God’s reign of love.