26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Date: September 27, 2009

First Reading (Numbers 11: 25-29)
A reading from the Book of Numbers.
The Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses. Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses, the Lord bestowed it on the seventy elders; and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied. Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad, were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp. They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tend; yet the spirit came to rest on them as well, and they also prophesied in the camp. Therefore, when a young man quickly told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp," Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth been Moses' aide, stated, "Moses, my lord, stop them." However, Moses answered him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets! Would that all the people are prophets! Would that the Lord might bestow his spirit on them all!"

Second Reading (James 5: 1-6)
A reading from the letter of Saint James.
Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries. Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire. You have stored up treasure for the last days. Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure; you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter. You have condemned; you have murdered the rightous one; he offers you no resistance.

Gospel (Mark 9: 38-48)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark.
John told to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us." Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you solemnly, will surely not lose his reward. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe [in me] to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. Therefore, if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed that with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the quenchable fire. In addition, if your foot causes you to sin, slice it off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled rather than having two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. Plus, if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with only one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where 'their worm does not die, and the fire cannot be extinguished.'"

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.

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Date: September 13, 2009

First Reading (Isaiah 50: 5-9)
A reading of 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, and 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? All of them will wear out like cloth; the moth will devour them.

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 rescue you. If a brother or sister is in need of clothes or food and one of you says, "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 and Philippi; and on the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" The disciples answered him, "Some say you are John the baptist; others say you are Elijah or one of the prophets." Then Jesus asked them, "But who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Messiah." Jesus told his disciples 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, he would rise again. Jesus stated all of 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 of 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 my sake and for the sake of the Gospel, you will save it.

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Date: September 6, 2009

First Reading (Isaiah 35: 4–7a)
A reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah.
Say to those who are afraid: "Have courage, do not fear. See, your God comes, demanding justice. He is 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 lamp leap as a hart and the tongue of the dumb sing and shot. For water will break out in the wilderness and streams gush forth from the desert. The thirsty ground will become a pool, and 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 people. 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 say, "Come and sit in the best seat." while to the poor one you say, "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 promised to those who love him? Ponder that question in your mind.

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 was a deaf man who also had difficulty in speaking. This man was brought to Jesus by the people, and they asked him 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." which is translated to, "Be opened." After that, the man's ears opened, and his tongue loosened. He now can speak clearly and hear perfectly. Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone, but the more Jesus insisted on not telling, the more the people proclaimed it. The people were completely astonished and proclaimed, "He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak."

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Date: August 30, 2009

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."

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Date: August 23, 2009

First Reading (Joshua 24: 1–2a, 15–17, 18b)
A reading from the book of Joshua.
Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, summoning their elders, their leader, their judges, and their officers. Together they presented themselves before God. Addressing the people, Joshua stated to them: "If it does not please you to serve the Lord, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your father served beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." The people answered, "May God not permit that we ever abandon the Lord to serve other Gods! For it was he who brought us and our ancestors out of Egypt, the house of slavery. It was he who did those great wonders that we have seen; he protected us on the way and through all the land where we passed. Therefore, we shall also serve the Lord, for he is our God!"

Second Reading (Ephesians 5: 21–32)
A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians.
Brothers and sisters: Let all kinds of submission to one another become obedience to Christ. So wives to their husbands: as to the Lord. The husband is the head of his wife, as Christ is the head of the Church, his body, of whom he is also the Savior. And as the Church submits to Christ, so let a wife submit in everything to her husband. As for you, husbands love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her. He washed her and made her holy by baptism in the Word. As he wanted a radiant Church without stain or wrinkle or any blemish, but holy and blameless, he himself had to prepare and present her to himself. In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they love their own bodies, he who love his wife loves himself. And no one has ever hated his body; he feeds and takes care of it. That is just what Christ does for the Church, because we are a part of his body. The Scripture states: Because of this, a man shall leave his father and mother to be united with his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a very great mystery, and I refer to Christ and the Church.

Gospel (John 6: 60–69)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.
After hearing what Jesus and stated before about the bread of life, plenty of Jesus' followers complained, "This language is very difficult; who can accept it?" Jesus was aware that his disciples were discussing and murmuring about this, so he states to them, "Does this offend you? Then how will react when you see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh cannot help. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. But among you there are some who do not believe." From the beginning, Jesus knew who would betray him. So he added, "As I have told you, nobody can come to me unless it is granted by the Father." After this, many disciples withdrew and no longer followed him. Jesus asked the Twelve, "Will you also go away?" Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We now believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Date: August 16, 2009

First Reading (Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10 a & b)
A reading from the book of Revelation.
God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and on her head is a crowd with twelve stars. She was pregnant and wailed aloud in pain as she was looking forward to her time of delivery. Then another sign appeared: a huge, red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and wearing seven crowns on its heads. It had just swept along a third of the stars of heaven with its tail, throwing them down to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour the child as soon as it was born. The woman gave birth to a male child, the one who is to rule all the nations with an iron scepter; then her child was seized and taken up to God and to his throne; while the woman fled into the desert where God had prepared a place for her. Then I heard a loud voice from heaven: "Now have salvation and power come, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed One."

Second Reading (1 Corinthians 15: 20-27)
A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians.
Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead and he comes before all those who have fallen asleep. A human being brought death; a human being also brings resurrection of the dead. All die for being Adam's, and in Christ all will receive life. However, each one in his own time: first Christ, then Christ's people, when he visits them. Then the end will come, when Christ delivers the kingdom to God the Father, after having destroyed every rule, authority and power. For he must reign and put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed will be death. As the Scriptures states: God has subjected everything under his feet.

Gospel (Luke 1: 39-56)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke.
Mary set out for a town in the Hills of Judah. She enter the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leapt in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the holy spirit, and giving a loud cry, she states, "You are most blessed among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb! How is it that the mother of my Lord comes to me? The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby within me suddenly leapt for joy. Blessed are you who believed that the Lord's word would come true!" And Mary stated, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God my savior! He has looked upon his servant in her lowliness, and people forever will call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, Holy is his Name! From age to age his mercy extends to those who live in his presence. He has acted with power and done wonders and scattered the proud with their plans. He has put down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up those who are downtrodden. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He held out his hand to Israel, his servant, for he remembered his mercy, even as he promised our fathers, Abraham and his descendants forever." Mary remained with Elizabeth for approximately three months and then returned home.