25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Date: September 20, 2009

First Reading (Wisdom 2: 12, 17-20)
A reading from the book of Wisdom.
Let us set a trap for the righteous, for he annoys us and opposes our way of life; he reproaches us for our breaches of the Law and accuses us of being false to our upbringing. Let us see the truth of what he says and find out what his end will be. If the righteous is a son of God, then God will defend him and deliver him from his adversaries. Let us humble and torture him to prove his self-control and test his patience. When we have condemned him to a shameful death, we may test his words.

Second Reading (James 3:16 - 4:3)
A reading from the letter of Saint James.
Wherever there is jealousy and ambition, you will also find discord and all that is evil. Instead, the wisdom which comes from above is pure and peace loving. People with this wisdom show understanding and listen to advice; they are full of compassion and good works; they are impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow peace reap a harvest of justice. What causes these fights and quarrels among you? Is it not your inner longings which mark war within your own selves? When you long for something you cannot have, you kill for it and when you do not get what you desire, you squabble and fight. The fact is, you do not have what you want because you do not pray for it. You pray for something and you do not get it because you pray with the wrong motive of indulging your pleasures. You adulterers! Do you not know that making friends with the world makes you enemies of God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be the world's friend becomes God's enemy.

Gospel (Mark 9: 30-37)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark.
After leaving the place, Jesus and his disciples made their way through Galilee; but Jesus did not want people to know where he was because he was teaching his disciples. He told them, "The Son of Man will be delivered into human hands. They will kill him, but three days after his death, he will rise." The disciples, however, did not understand these words and they were afraid to question Jesus what he meant.