September 05, 2021, Sunday
Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 128
Reading I
Is 35:4-7a
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.
Streams will burst forth in the desert,
and rivers in the steppe.
The burning sands will become pools,
and the thirsty ground, springs of water.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10
R. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Reading II
Jas 2:1-5
as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.
For if a man with gold rings and fine clothes
comes into your assembly,
and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in,
and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes
and say, “Sit here, please, ”
while you say to the poor one, “Stand there, ” or “Sit at my feet, ”
have you not made distinctions among yourselves
and become judges with evil designs?
Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters.
Did not God choose those who are poor in the world
to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom
that he promised to those who love him?
Alleluia
Cf. Mt 4:23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL
Mk 7:31-37
and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
He put his finger into the man’s ears
and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
“Ephphatha!”— that is, “Be opened!” —
And immediately the man’s ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to,
the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
“He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
REFLECTION:
The healing work of Jesus involved the body and well as mind and soul. Some 'Christian' teaching devalues the body. Our body is the 'place' of the Holy Spirit and through words, touch and feeling we affect the lives of others. In prayer we thank God for the sacredness of our bodies and ask that we care well for them. We offer this care to the Lord in the ways we eat, drink, touch and taste. We believe that Jesus, Son of God, is present and incarnate today in our bodies.
The people around Jesus were able to recognize the good that he did. I ask God to strengthen me, to give me the courage to keep the acting in the hope that I may give witness by how I live.
PRAYER:
You were always on the side of health, Lord. You communicated your own vigorous health to people by touching them, even sharing your saliva. Let me relish my senses while I have them, open my ears to music and my lips to speech. Touch me with health.
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