Eleventh Tuesday in Ordinary Time

When Ahab heard these words, he tore his garments and put on sackcloth over his bare flesh. He fasted, slept in the sackcloth, and went about subdued. Then the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself before me? Since he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his time. I will bring the evil upon his house during the reign of his son."

When we sin, we don't just affect our relationship with God and ourselves, but also our relationship with others and their relationship with God. We do not do good works or evil ones in a vacuum. The consequences for right and wrong echo throughout our lives and the world around us. We may not know how we've affected others, but in the end our choices both good and bad have an effect on our family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers.

Do we keep in mind that all our thoughts, words, and works have an effect on our relationship with God and others? How can we be more careful of how our decisions affect the faith and lives of others? Are we willing to humble ourselves after we sin and seek reconciliation with our Lord and God?

O Lord, have mercy on us.

Amen.