26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Date: September 29, 2012

First Reading (Numbers 11: 25-29)

A reading from the book of Numbers.

The Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses. He took some of the spirit that was upon him and put it on the seventy elders. Now when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But this they did not do again. Two men had remained in the camp; the name of one was Eldad, the name of the other Medad. However, the spirit came on them for they were among those who were registered though they had not gone out to the Tent. As they prophesied inside the camp, a young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp." Joshua, the son of Nun, who ministered to Moses from his youth stated, "My lord Moses, stop them!" But Moses stated to him, "Are you jealous on my behalf? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would sent his spirit upon them!"

Second Reading (James 5: 1-6)

A reading from the letter of Saint James.

So, now for what concerns the rich! Cry and weep for the misfortunes which are coming upon you. Your riches are rotting and your clothes eaten up by the moths. Your silver and gold have rusted and their rust grows into a witness against you. It will consume flesh like fire, for having piled up riches in these last days. You deceived the workers who harvested your fields but now their wages cry out to the heavens. The reapers' complaints have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You lived in luxury and pleasure in this world and felt happy while others were murdered. You have easily condemned and killed the innocent since they offered no resistance.

Gospel (Mark 9: 38-43, 45, and 47-48)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark.

John stated to Jesus, "Master, we saw someone who drove out demons by calling upon your name, and we tried to forbid him because he does not belong to our group." Jesus answered, "Do not forbid him, for the one who works a miracle in my name can soon after speak evil of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. If anyone gives a drink of water because you belong to Christ and bear his name, truly, I say to you, he will not go without reward. If anyone should cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble and sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a great millstone around his neck. If your hand makes you fall into sin, cut it off! it is better for you to enter life without a hand than with two hands to go to hell, to the fire that never goes out. And if your foot makes you fall into sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life without a foot than with both feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye makes you fall into sin, tear it out! it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than, keeping both eyes, to be thrown into hell where the worms that eat them never die, and the fire never goes out."

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Date: September 23, 2012

First Reading (Wisdom 2: 12 and 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 states and find out what his end will be. If the righteous is a son of God, 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.

Brothers and sisters: 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. Persons 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 make 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.

Gospel (Mark 9: 30-37)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark.

After leaving that 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. And he told them, "The Son of Man will be delivered into human hands. They will kill him, but three days after he has been killed, he will rise." The disciples, however, did not understand these words and they were afraid to ask him what he meant. They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, Jesus asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" But they did not answer because they had been arguing about who was the greatest. Then he sat down, called the Twelve and stated to them, "If someone wants to be the first, let him be last of all and servant of all." Then he took a little child, placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it, he stated to them, "Whoever welcomes a child such as this in my name, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not me but the One who sent me."

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Date: September 16, 2012

First Reading (Isaiah 50: 5-9a)

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

The Lord God has opened my ear. I have not rebelled, nor have I withdrawn. I offered my back to those who strike me, my cheeks to those who pulled my beard; neither did I shield my face from blows, spittle and disgrace. I have not despaired, for the Lord God comes to my help. So, like a flint I set my face, knowing that I will not be disgraced. He who avenges me is near. Who then will accuse me? Let us confront each other. Who is now my accuser? Let him approach. If the Lord God is my help, who will condemn me?

Second Reading (James 2: 14-18)

A reading from the letter of Saint James.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, to profess faith without showing works? Such faith has no power to save you. If a brother or sister is in need of clothes or food and one of you states, "May things go well for you; be warm and satisfied," without attending to their material needs, what good is that? So it is for faith without deeds: it is totally dead. Say to whoever challenges you, "You have faith and I have good deeds; show me your faith apart from actions and I, for my part, will show you my faith in the way I act."

Gospel (Mark 8: 27-35)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark.

Jesus set out with his disciples for the villages around Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" And they told him, "Some say you are John the Baptist; others say you are Elijah or one of the prophets." Then Jesus asked them, "But you, who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Messiah." And he ordered them not to tell anyone about him. Jesus then began to teach them that the Son of Man had to suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. He would be killed and after three days rise again. Jesus stated all this quite openly, so that Peter took him aside and began to protest strongly. But Jesus turning around, and looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter saying, "Get behind me Satan! You are thinking not as God does, but as people do." Then Jesus called the people and his disciples and stated, "If you want to follow me, deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. For if you choose to save your life, you will lose it; and if you lose your life for me sake and for the sake of the Gospel, you will save it."

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Date: September 9, 2012

First Reading (Isaiah 35: 4-7a)

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

So to those who are afraid: "Have courage, do not fear. See, your God comes, demanding justice. He is the God who rewards, the God who comes to save you." Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unsealed. Then will the lame leap as a hart and the tongue of the dumb sing and shout. For water will break out in the wilderness and streams gush forth from the desert. The thirsty ground will become a pool, the arid land springs of water.

Second Reading (James 2: 1-5)

A reading from the letter of Saint James.

My brothers and sisters, if you truly believe in our glorified Lord, Jesus Christ, you will not discriminate between persons. Suppose a person enters the synagogue where you are assembled, dressed magnificently and wearing a gold ring; at the same time, a poor person enters dressed in rags. If you focus your attention on the well-dressed and state, "Come and sit in the best seat," while to the poor one you state, "Stay standing or else sit down at my feet," have you not, in fact, made a distinction between the two? Have you not judged, using a double standard? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters, did God not choose the poor of this world to receive the riches of faith and to inherit the kingdom which he has promise to those who love him?

Gospel (Mark 7: 31-37)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark.

Again Jesus set out; from the country of Tyre he passed through Sidon and skirting the sea of Galilee he came to the territory of Decapolis. There a deaf man who also had difficulty in speaking was brought to him. They asked Jesus to lay his hand upon him. Jesus took him apart from the crowd, put his fingers into the man's ears and touched his tongue with spittle. Then, looking up to heaven, he groaned and stated to him, "Ephphetha." that is, "Be opened." And his ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak clearly. Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone, but the more he insisted on this, the more they proclaimed it. The people were completely astonished and stated, "He has done all things well; he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak."

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Date: September 2, 2012

First Reading (Deuteronomy 4: 1-2, 6-8)
A reading from the book of Deuteronomy.
Moses stated to the people: "Now, Israel, listen to the norms and laws which I teach that you may put them into practice. And you will live and enter and taken possession of the land which the Lord your God of your Fathers, gives you. Do not add anything to what I command you nor take anything away from it. But keep the commandments for the Lord your God, as I command you. If you observe and practice them, other people will regard you as wise and intelligent. When they come to know all those laws, they will say, 'There is no people as wise and as intelligent as this great nation.' For in truth, is there a nation as great as ours, whose gods are as near to it as the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? And is there a nation as great as ours whose norms and laws are as just as this Law which I give you today?"

Second Reading (James 1: 17-18, 21b-22 & 27)
A reading from the letter of Saint James.
Dearest brothers and sisters: Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of Light, in whom there is no change or shadow of a change. By his own will, he gave us life through the Word of Truth, that we might be a kind of offering to him among his creatures. Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls. Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Gospel (Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15, and 21-23)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark.
One day the Pharisees gather around Jesus and with them were some teachers of the Law who had just come from Jerusalem. They noticed that some of his disciples were eating their meal with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. Now the Pharisees, and in fact, all the Jews, never eat without washing their hands for they follow the tradition received from their ancestors; nor do they eat anything when they come from the market without first washing themselves. And there are many other traditions they observe, for example, the ritual washing of cups, pots, and plates. So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law asked Jesus, "Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders, but eat with unclean hands?" Jesus answered, "You shallow people! How well Isaiah prophesied of you when he wrote: This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. The worship they offer me is worthless, for what they teach are only human rules. You even put aside the commandment of God to hold fast to human tradition." Jesus then called the people to him again and stated to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and try to understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can make that person unclean. It is what comes out from within that makes unclean." Jesus continues with this statement: "Within people, evil designs come out of the heart: theft, murder, adultery, jealousy, greed, maliciousness, deceit, indecency, slander, pride, and folly. All these evil things come from within and make a person unclean."