today's other readings are Psalm 119 and Lk. 12: 54-59
"The Devil made me do it". That statement was frequently said by the the comic character Geraldine Jones, played by the late, great American comedian, Flip Wilson. In using that line, I always wondered if Mr. Wilson had in mind the thought shared by St. Paul shares in today's 1st reading: "For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do".
How many of us read this statement and then sadly sigh. For this is the story of so many. How many times have I heard penitents in the confessional beat themselves up on this very thing - doing the very thing that we know is wrong. For as Paul says later in the readings, "When I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand". So who will rescue us from these temptations? It is God through Jesus Christ our Lord, as St. Paul says.
All the more motivation for us to frequently say each day the Jesus prayer: "Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner".