Parable Of The Rich Fool

JULY 31, 2022, SUNDAY

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 114

Reading 1

Ecc 1:2; 2:21-23

Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,

vanity of vanities!  All things are vanity!

Here is one who has labored with wisdom and knowledge and skill,

and yet to another who has not labored over it,

he must leave property.

This also is vanity and a great misfortune.

For what profit comes to man from all the toil and anxiety of heart

with which he has labored under the sun?

All his days sorrow and grief are his occupation;

even at night his mind is not at rest.

This also is vanity.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17

R. (1) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

You turn man back to dust,

saying, “Return, O children of men.”

For a thousand years in your sight

 are as yesterday, now that it is past,

 or as a watch of the night.

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

You make an end of them in their sleep;

 the next morning they are like the changing grass,

Which at dawn springs up anew,

but by evening wilts and fades.

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Teach us to number our days aright,

 that we may gain wisdom of heart.

Return, O LORD! How long?

 Have pity on your servants!

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,

 that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.

And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;

 prosper the work of our hands for us!

 Prosper the work of our hands!

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Reading 2

Col 3:1-5, 9-11

Brothers and sisters:

If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,

where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.

For you have died,

and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

When Christ your life appears,

then you too will appear with him in glory.

Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly:

immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire,

and the greed that is idolatry.

Stop lying to one another,

since you have taken off the old self with its practices

and have put on the new self,

which is being renewed, for knowledge,

in the image of its creator.

Here there is not Greek and Jew,

circumcision and uncircumcision,

barbarian, Scythian, slave, free;

but Christ is all and in all.

Alleluia

Mt 5:3

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 12:13-21

Someone in the crowd said to Jesus,

“Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.”

He replied to him,

“Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?”

Then he said to the crowd,

“Take care to guard against all greed,

for though one may be rich,

one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

Then he told them a parable.

“There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.

He asked himself, ‘What shall I do,

for I do not have space to store my harvest?’

And he said, ‘This is what I shall do:

I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones.

There I shall store all my grain and other goods

and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you,

you have so many good things stored up for many years,

rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’

But God said to him,

‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you;

and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’

Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves

but are not rich in what matters to God.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

In this parable Jesus attacks greed and egotism. This rich man is living for this world and this life only. He is thinking only of himself, with no awareness of the needs of others, despite his own abundance.

Jesus is asked to settle an inheritance case. He cautions his listeners against any kind of greed. He tells them that their lives are not made secure by what they own. They must grow into a true sense of values and recognise that their real life cannot be measured in terms of material possessions.

All the rich man’s ambitious planning is in vain because that same night he was to die. Who would inherit his substantial fortune, since he cannot take it with him, though he lived as if he could? I ask Jesus to show me what are the real values and riches in my own life?

PRAYER:

Jesus, how patient you are with us as we struggle with our earthly desires. We want more and yet more. We look with envy on what others seem to have - better homes, better jobs, better ways of living. Help us instead to be grateful for what we have, for your goodness to us, and for who we are as children of God.

Herod Had John Beheaded

JULY 30, 2022, SATURDAY

Saturday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)

Optional Memorial of Saint Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (White)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 406

Reading 1 

JER 26:11-16, 24

The priests and prophets said to the princes and to all the people,

“This man deserves death;

he has prophesied against this city,

as you have heard with your own ears.”

Jeremiah gave this answer to the princes and all the people:

“It was the LORD who sent me to prophesy against this house and city

all that you have heard.

Now, therefore, reform your ways and your deeds;

listen to the voice of the LORD your God,

so that the LORD will repent of the evil with which he threatens you.

As for me, I am in your hands; 

do with me what you think good and right.

But mark well: if you put me to death,

it is innocent blood you bring on yourselves,

on this city and its citizens.

For in truth it was the LORD who sent me to you,

to speak all these things for you to hear.”

Thereupon the princes and all the people

said to the priests and the prophets,

“This man does not deserve death;

it is in the name of the LORD, our God, that he speaks to us.” 

So Ahikam, son of Shaphan, protected Jeremiah,

so that he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.

Responsorial Psalm 

PS 69:15-16, 30-31, 33-34

R.(14c)  Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Rescue me out of the mire; may I not sink!

may I be rescued from my foes,

and from the watery depths.

Let not the flood-waters overwhelm me,

nor the abyss swallow me up,

nor the pit close its mouth over me.

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

But I am afflicted and in pain;

let your saving help, O God, protect me.

I will praise the name of God in song,

and I will glorify him with thanksgiving.

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;

you who seek God, may your hearts revive!

For the LORD hears the poor,

and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Alleluia 

MT 5:10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness

for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mt 14:1-12

Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus

and said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist.

He has been raised from the dead;

that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”

Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison

on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip,

for John had said to him,

“It is not lawful for you to have her.”

Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people,

for they regarded him as a prophet.

But at a birthday celebration for Herod,

the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests

and delighted Herod so much

that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for.

Prompted by her mother, she said,

“Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”

The king was distressed,

but because of his oaths and the guests who were present,

he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison.

His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl,

who took it to her mother.

His disciples came and took away the corpse

and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

John’s death led his disciples to Jesus. When all seemed lost, they risked their lives in a final act of love to reclaim his body, and then “they went and told Jesus”. Let us realise that the darkest hour often heralds the dawn.

Herod’s generous promise was not balanced by wisdom and justice. I pray for people whose lives are out of balance and who have lost sight of their true good. I call to mind those who suffer injustice because of the pride of others and allow God to tell me what I might do, how I might pray.

PRAYER:

Lord, strengthen my weak heart so that I may truly witness to your values.

Martha's Response

JULY 29, 2022, FRIDAY

MEMORIAL OF SAINTS MARTHA , MARY, AND LAZARUS (White)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 405/607

Reading I

Jer 26:1-9

In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim,

son of Josiah, king of Judah,

this message came from the LORD: 

Thus says the LORD:

Stand in the court of the house of the LORD

and speak to the people of all the cities of Judah

who come to worship in the house of the LORD;

whatever I command you, tell them, and omit nothing.

Perhaps they will listen and turn back,

each from his evil way,

so that I may repent of the evil I have planned to inflict upon them

for their evil deeds.

Say to them:  Thus says the LORD:

If you disobey me,

not living according to the law I placed before you

and not listening to the words of my servants the prophets,

whom I send you constantly though you do not obey them,

I will treat this house like Shiloh,

and make this the city to which all the nations of the earth

shall refer when cursing another.

Now the priests, the prophets, and all the people

heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the LORD.

When Jeremiah finished speaking

all that the LORD bade him speak to all the people,

the priests and prophets laid hold of him, crying,

“You must be put to death!

Why do you prophesy in the name of the LORD:

‘This house shall be like Shiloh,’ and

‘This city shall be desolate and deserted’?”

And all the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.

 

Responsorial Psalm

69:5, 8-10, 14

R.        (14c)  Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Those outnumber the hairs of my head

who hate me without cause.

Too many for my strength

are they who wrongfully are my enemies.

Must I restore what I did not steal?

R.        Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Since for your sake I bear insult,

and shame covers my face.

I have become an outcast to my brothers,

a stranger to my mother’s sons,

Because zeal for your house consumes me,

and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.

R.        Lord, in your great love, answer me.

But I pray to you, O LORD,

for the time of your favor, O God!

In your great kindness answer me

with your constant help.

R.        Lord, in your great love, answer me.

 

Alleluia

Jn 8:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;

whoever follows me will have the light of life.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel

Jn 11:19-27

Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary

to comfort them about their brother [Lazarus, who had died].

When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,

she went to meet him;

but Mary sat at home.

Martha said to Jesus,

“Lord, if you had been here,

my brother would not have died.

But even now I know that whatever you ask of God,

God will give you.”

Jesus said to her,

“Your brother will rise.”

Martha said to him,

“I know he will rise,

in the resurrection on the last day.”

Jesus told her,

“I am the resurrection and the life;

whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,

and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die.

Do you believe this?”

She said to him, “Yes, Lord.

I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,

the one who is coming into the world.”

OR:

Lk 10:38-42

Jesus entered a village

where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.

She had a sister named Mary

who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.

Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,

“Lord, do you not care

that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?

Tell her to help me.”

The Lord said to her in reply,

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.

There is need of only one thing.

Mary has chosen the better part

and it will not be taken from her.”

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Martha’s faith in Jesus is absolute. She believes that her brother Lazarus will rise again in the resurrection on the last day. She acknowledges Jesus as ‘the Messiah, the Son of God’.

Faith in the resurrection helps us to live with an attitude of hope, sharing in the joy of the victory of the risen Christ over sin and death. It is because of the resurrection that Christ is with me on all of my journeys through life. Can I recognize his presence and open my heart to encounter him more fully?

PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, I am forever grateful that You are in our past, present, and future. Thank You for being my Resurrection and Life! AMEN.

Parable Of The Fishing Net

JULY 28, 2022, THURSDAY

Thursday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 404

Reading 1 

JER 18:1-6

This word came to Jeremiah from the LORD:

Rise up, be off to the potter’s house;

there I will give you my message.

I went down to the potter’s house and there he was, 

working at the wheel.

Whenever the object of clay which he was making

turned out badly in his hand, 

he tried again,

making of the clay another object of whatever sort he pleased.

Then the word of the LORD came to me:

Can I not do to you, house of Israel,

as this potter has done? says the LORD.

Indeed, like clay in the hand of the potter,

so are you in my hand, house of Israel.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 146:1B-2, 3-4, 5-6AB

R. (5a)  Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Praise the LORD, O my soul;

I will praise the LORD all my life;

I will sing praise to my God while I live.

R.  Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Put not your trust in princes,

in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation.

When his spirit departs he returns to his earth;

on that day his plans perish.

R. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Blessed he whose help is the God of Jacob,

whose hope is in the LORD, his God.

Who made heaven and earth,

the sea and all that is in them.

R. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Alleluia 

ACTS 16:14B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Open our heart, O Lord,

to listen to the words of your Son.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel 

MT 13:47-53

Jesus said to the disciples:

“The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea,

which collects fish of every kind.

When it is full they haul it ashore

and sit down to put what is good into buckets.

What is bad they throw away.

Thus it will be at the end of the age.

The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous

and throw them into the fiery furnace,

where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”

“Do you understand all these things?”

They answered, “Yes.”

And he replied,

“Then every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom of heaven

is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom

both the new and the old.”

When Jesus finished these parables, he went away from there.

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

The image that Jesus uses of drawing the fishing net and separating the catch was one which many of his disciples would have been familiar with in their role as fishermen. Putting the good fish into baskets and dispensing with the bad was part of their everyday duty. So Jesus was speaking to them in language which they could relate to when describing the kingdom of heaven.

PRAYER:

Father, as we weave our way through life, help us to discern what is pleasing to you and how we can reach for the heavens in our daily communion with our brothers and sisters. Help us to learn from our experience of life what helps us live lovingly.

Parables Of The Hidden Treasure And The Pearl

JULY 27, 2022, WEDNESDAY

Wednesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 403

Reading 1

Jer 15:10, 16-21

Woe to me, mother, that you gave me birth!

a man of strife and contention to all the land!

I neither borrow nor lend,

yet all curse me.

When I found your words, I devoured them;

they became my joy and the happiness of my heart,

Because I bore your name,

O LORD, God of hosts.

I did not sit celebrating

in the circle of merrymakers;

Under the weight of your hand I sat alone

because you filled me with indignation.

Why is my pain continuous,

my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?

You have indeed become for me a treacherous brook,

whose waters do not abide!

Thus the LORD answered me:

If you repent, so that I restore you,

in my presence you shall stand;

If you bring forth the precious without the vile,

you shall be my mouthpiece.

Then it shall be they who turn to you,

and you shall not turn to them;

And I will make you toward this people

a solid wall of brass.

Though they fight against you,

they shall not prevail,

For I am with you,

to deliver and rescue you, says the LORD.

I will free you from the hand of the wicked,

and rescue you from the grasp of the violent.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 59:2-3, 4, 10-11, 17, 18

R. (17d) God is my refuge on the day of distress.

Rescue me from my enemies, O my God;

from my adversaries defend me.

Rescue me from evildoers;

from bloodthirsty men save me.

R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.

For behold, they lie in wait for my life;

mighty men come together against me,

Not for any offense or sin of mine, O LORD.

R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.

O my strength! for you I watch;

for you, O God, are my stronghold,

As for my God, may his mercy go before me;

may he show me the fall of my foes.

R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.

But I will sing of your strength

and revel at dawn in your mercy;

You have been my stronghold,

my refuge in the day of distress.

R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.

O my strength! your praise will I sing;

for you, O God, are my stronghold,

my merciful God!

R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.

Alleluia

Jn 15:15b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I call you my friends, says the Lord,

for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mt 13:44-46

Jesus said to his disciples:

"The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,

which a person finds and hides again,

and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant

searching for fine pearls.

When he finds a pearl of great price,

he goes and sells all that he has and buys it."

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Imagine the reaction of the person who finds the hidden treasure in this parable, how their heart must have leapt to find it! Their whole life is turned around; for the first time in their life they have hope that things will be better. They can’t wait to tell their family; but know they have to keep the treasure a secret until they have bought the field. But the person’s family will notice the change in them and wonder what good news has got hold of them.

The kingdom is a treasure as precious as the finest of pearls. It should be our greatest and most important possession. It means that my values are the values of God. Is that how I see it? Would anyone know?

PRAYER:

Lord, you talk of the joy of discovery. That is the sign that I have found your treasure, a deep happiness that nothing can separate me from you.

Parable Of The Weeds In The Field (MEMORIAL OF STS. JOACHIM AND ANNE, PARENTS OF THE B.V.M. - C)

JULY 26, 2022, TUESDAY

MEMORIAL OF SAINTS JOACHIM AND ANNE, PARENTS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (White)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 402

Reading 1 

JER 14:17-22

Let my eyes stream with tears

day and night, without rest,

Over the great destruction which overwhelms

the virgin daughter of my people,

over her incurable wound.

If I walk out into the field,

look! those slain by the sword;

If I enter the city,

look! those consumed by hunger.

Even the prophet and the priest

forage in a land they know not.

Have you cast Judah off completely?

Is Zion loathsome to you?

Why have you struck us a blow

that cannot be healed?

We wait for peace, to no avail;

for a time of healing, but terror comes instead.

We recognize, O LORD, our wickedness,

the guilt of our fathers;

that we have sinned against you.

For your name’s sake spurn us not,

disgrace not the throne of your glory;

remember your covenant with us, and break it not.

Among the nations’ idols is there any that gives rain?

Or can the mere heavens send showers?

Is it not you alone, O LORD,

our God, to whom we look?

You alone have done all these things.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 79:8, 9, 11 AND 13

R.  (9)  For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;

may your compassion quickly come to us,

for we are brought very low.

R.  For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Help us, O God our savior,

because of the glory of your name;

Deliver us and pardon our sins

for your name’s sake.

R.  For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Let the prisoners’ sighing come before you;

with your great power free those doomed to death.

Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture,

will give thanks to you forever;

through all generations we will declare your praise.

R.  For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Alleluia 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;

all who come to him will live for ever.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel 

MT 13:36-43

Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house.

His disciples approached him and said,

“Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,

the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom.

The weeds are the children of the Evil One,

and the enemy who sows them is the Devil.

The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire,

so will it be at the end of the age.

The Son of Man will send his angels,

and they will collect out of his Kingdom

all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.

They will throw them into the fiery furnace,

where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

Then the righteous will shine like the sun

in the Kingdom of their Father.

Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Weeds and wheat all grow together and, at the harvest, are separated. In each of our strengths and weaknesses of personality exist together, as do our best and faults. God sees our whole and looks at the total field. All are growing together and too much emphasis on faults means we may forget our goodness. In prayer, let's offer the good to God for strengthening and what is weak for healing and forgiveness.

The good seed is sown in the world as it is. There is no need to wait until things are better, I can do whatever good I can do right now.

PRAYER:

and they will collect out of his kingdom

Like a seed growing towards the light, I allow myself to dwell in the presence of God who loves me. I still any voices that are not for my growth, wanting only to respond to the word that God speaks to me.

A Mother's Request (FEAST OF SAINT JAMES, APOSTLE - C)

JULY 25, 2022, MONDAY

FEAST OF SAINT JAMES, APOSTLE (Red)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 605

Reading 1 

2 COR 4:7-15

Brothers and sisters:

We hold this treasure in earthen vessels,

that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.

We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained;

perplexed, but not driven to despair;

persecuted, but not abandoned;

struck down, but not destroyed;

always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus,

so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.

For we who live are constantly being given up to death

for the sake of Jesus,

so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith,

according to what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke,

we too believe and therefore speak, 

knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus

will raise us also with Jesus

and place us with you in his presence.

Everything indeed is for you,

so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people

may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 126:1BC-2AB, 2CD-3, 4-5, 6

R. (5)  Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,

we were like men dreaming.

Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

and our tongue with rejoicing. 

R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Then they said among the nations,

“The LORD has done great things for them.”

The LORD has done great things for us;

we are glad indeed.

R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,

like the torrents in the southern desert.

Those that sow in tears

shall reap rejoicing.

R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Although they go forth weeping,

carrying the seed to be sown,

They shall come back rejoicing,

carrying their sheaves. 

R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Alleluia 

JN 15:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I chose you from the world,

to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel 

MT 20:20-28

The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons

and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.

He said to her,

“What do you wish?”

She answered him,

“Command that these two sons of mine sit,

one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom.”

Jesus said in reply,

“You do not know what you are asking.

Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”

They said to him, “We can.”

He replied,

“My chalice you will indeed drink,

but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give

but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

When the ten heard this,

they became indignant at the two brothers.

But Jesus summoned them and said,

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,

and the great ones make their authority over them felt.

But it shall not be so among you.

Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;

whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.

Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served

but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

The mother of the sons of Zebedee desired greatness for her sons, wishing that they could both occupy the top places in Jesus’ kingdom. She was yearning for recognition on their part but Jesus points out that true greatness is to be expressed by a deep humility and a willingness to serve.

PRAYER:

Lord, help me to have a humble and caring attitude towards all the people you put in my path and to recognise your loving presence in them. I pray for the grace to give of my time without the anticipation of receiving something in return, confident that I will receive my real reward in your heavenly kingdom.

Jesus Teaching On Prayer

JULY 24, 2022, SUNDAY

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 111

Reading 1

Gn 18:20-32

In those days, the LORD said: "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great,

and their sin so grave,

that I must go down and see whether or not their actions

fully correspond to the cry against them that comes to me.

I mean to find out."

While Abraham's visitors walked on farther toward Sodom,

the LORD remained standing before Abraham.

Then Abraham drew nearer and said:

"Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty?

Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city;

would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it

for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it?

Far be it from you to do such a thing,

to make the innocent die with the guilty

so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike!

Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?"

The LORD replied,

"If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom,

I will spare the whole place for their sake."

Abraham spoke up again:

"See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord,

though I am but dust and ashes!

What if there are five less than fifty innocent people?

Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?"

He answered, "I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there."

But Abraham persisted, saying "What if only forty are found there?"

He replied, "I will forbear doing it for the sake of the forty."

Then Abraham said, "Let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on.

What if only thirty are found there?"

He replied, "I will forbear doing it if I can find but thirty there."

Still Abraham went on,

"Since I have thus dared to speak to my Lord,

what if there are no more than twenty?"

The LORD answered, "I will not destroy it, for the sake of the twenty."

But he still persisted:

"Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time.

What if there are at least ten there?"

He replied, "For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it."

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8

R.(3a) Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,

for you have heard the words of my mouth;

in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;

I will worship at your holy temple

and give thanks to your name.

R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

Because of your kindness and your truth;

for you have made great above all things

your name and your promise.

When I called you answered me;

you built up strength within me.

R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

The LORD is exalted, yet the lowly he sees,

and the proud he knows from afar.

Though I walk amid distress, you preserve me;

against the anger of my enemies you raise your hand.

R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

Your right hand saves me.

The LORD will complete what he has done for me;

your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;

forsake not the work of your hands.

R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

Reading 2

Col 2:12-14

Brothers and sisters:

You were buried with him in baptism,

in which you were also raised with him

through faith in the power of God,

who raised him from the dead.

And even when you were dead

in transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh,

he brought you to life along with him,

having forgiven us all our transgressions;

 obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims,

which was opposed to us,

he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross.

Alleluia

Rom 8:15bc

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

You have received a Spirit of adoption,

through which we cry, Abba, Father.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 11:1-13

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished,

one of his disciples said to him,

"Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples."

He said to them, "When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread

and forgive us our sins

for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,

and do not subject us to the final test."

And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend

to whom he goes at midnight and says,

'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,

for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey

and I have nothing to offer him,'

and he says in reply from within,

'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked

and my children and I are already in bed.

I cannot get up to give you anything.'

I tell you,

if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves

because of their friendship,

he will get up to give him whatever he needs

because of his persistence.

"And I tell you, ask and you will receive;

seek and you will find;

knock and the door will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks, receives;

and the one who seeks, finds;

and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

What father among you would hand his son a snake

when he asks for a fish?

Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?

If you then, who are wicked,

know how to give good gifts to your children,

how much more will the Father in heaven

give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

It is clear that prayer was essential for Jesus – for his identity and his mission. Prayer expressed Jesus’ relationship with his Father. He taught his followers how to pray, and he made time for it himself, no matter what needs and demands pressed on him. 

The Lord’s Prayer is the model for all prayer. It contains the essential petitions for truly Christian prayer and living. Do I allow this prayer to mould me as a person and to directly influence my relationship with God and with my neighbour? Do I do likewise?

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, each day I depend upon you. I confidently ask for daily bread for my family and myself. And you generously keep on giving. Also I thank you for your loving forgiveness when I disappoint you. Give me a forgiving heart when others disappoint me.

The Parable Of The Weeds

JULY 23, 2022, SATURDAY
Saturday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
Optional Memorial of Saint Bridget of Sweden, Religious (White)
CYCLE C - YEAR II
Lectionary: 400

Reading 1
Jer 7:1-11

The following message came to Jeremiah from the LORD:

Stand at the gate of the house of the LORD,

and there proclaim this message:

Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah

who enter these gates to worship the LORD!

Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:

Reform your ways and your deeds,

so that I may remain with you in this place.

Put not your trust in the deceitful words:

"This is the temple of the LORD!

The temple of the LORD! The temple of the LORD!"

Only if you thoroughly reform your ways and your deeds;

if each of you deals justly with his neighbor;

if you no longer oppress the resident alien,

the orphan, and the widow;

if you no longer shed innocent blood in this place,

or follow strange gods to your own harm,

will I remain with you in this place,

in the land I gave your fathers long ago and forever.

But here you are, putting your trust in deceitful words to your own loss!

Are you to steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury,

burn incense to Baal,

go after strange gods that you know not,

and yet come to stand before me

in this house which bears my name, and say:

"We are safe; we can commit all these abominations again"?

Has this house which bears my name

become in your eyes a den of thieves?

I too see what is being done, says the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 84:3, 4, 5-6a and 8a, 11

R. (2) How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

My soul yearns and pines

for the courts of the LORD.

My heart and my flesh

cry out for the living God.

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

Even the sparrow finds a home,

and the swallow a nest

in which she puts her young—

Your altars, O LORD of hosts,

my king and my God!

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

Blessed they who dwell in your house!

continually they praise you.

Blessed the men whose strength you are!

They go from strength to strength.

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

I had rather one day in your courts

than a thousand elsewhere;

I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God

than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

Alleluia
Jas 1:21bc

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you

and is able to save your souls.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 13:24-30

Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds.

"The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man

who sowed good seed in his field.

While everyone was asleep his enemy came

and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.

When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.

The slaves of the householder came to him and said,

'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?

Where have the weeds come from?'

He answered, 'An enemy has done this.'

His slaves said to him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'

He replied, 'No, if you pull up the weeds

you might uproot the wheat along with them.

Let them grow together until harvest;

then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,

"First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;

but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Sometimes we may think that perfection is acquired by becoming aware of our faults and working to root these out. However, when we become more familiar with Jesus’ attitude to the limited and sinful side of ourselves we learn to accept our limited and sinful self just as Jesus did with Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10). If we don’t accept this side of ourselves, we tend to become fixated with it and fail to appreciate the fullness of life Jesus has already given us.

The lesson is : We require patience, and trust that this most experienced of cultivators – the Lord of Creation – has the matter well in hand.

Be with Jesus and let him teach you to let the weeds grow with the wheat lest seeking to root them or you might fail to appreciate all that is good and even beautiful about your life.

PRAYER:

Good and evil co-exist in human life and in the world. Nothing or no-one is perfect. We are all in need of forgiveness and redemption. Lord Jesus, you know my strengths and my weaknesses. Help me to produce a rich harvest of good works to the greater glory of the Father.

"I Have Seen The Lord" (FEAST OF SAINT MARY MAGDALENE - C)

JULY 22, 2022, FRIDAY

FEAST OF SAINT MARY MAGDALENE (White)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 603

Reading I

Sgs 3:1-4b

The Bride says:

On my bed at night I sought him

whom my heart loves–

I sought him but I did not find him.

I will rise then and go about the city;

in the streets and crossings I will seek

Him whom my heart loves.

I sought him but I did not find him.

The watchmen came upon me,

as they made their rounds of the city:

Have you seen him whom my heart loves?

I had hardly left them

when I found him whom my heart loves.

OR: 

2 Cor 5:14-17

Brothers and sisters:

The love of Christ impels us,

once we have come to the conviction that one died for all;

therefore, all have died.

He indeed died for all,

so that those who live might no longer live for themselves

but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh;

even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh,

yet now we know him so no longer.

So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:

the old things have passed away;

behold, new things have come.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9

R. (2) My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

O God, you are my God whom I seek;

for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts

like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.

R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary

to see your power and your glory,

For your kindness is a greater good than life;

my lips shall glorify you.

R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

Thus will I bless you while I live;

lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.

As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,

and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.

R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

You are my help,

and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.

My soul clings fast to you;

your right hand upholds me.

R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Tell us Mary, what did you see on the way?

I saw the glory of the risen Christ, I saw his empty tomb.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Jn 20:1-2, 11-18

On the first day of the week,

Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning,

while it was still dark,

and saw the stone removed from the tomb.

So she ran and went to Simon Peter

and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,

“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,

and we don’t know where they put him.” 

Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping.

And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb

and saw two angels in white sitting there,

one at the head and one at the feet

where the Body of Jesus had been.

And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

She said to them, “They have taken my Lord,

and I don’t know where they laid him.”

When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,

but did not know it was Jesus.

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?

Whom are you looking for?”

She thought it was the gardener and said to him,

“Sir, if you carried him away,

tell me where you laid him,

and I will take him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary!”

She turned and said to him in Hebrew,

“Rabbouni,” which means Teacher.

Jesus said to her,

“Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.

But go to my brothers and tell them,

‘I am going to my Father and your Father,

to my God and your God.’”

Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples,

“I have seen the Lord,”

and then reported what he told her.

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Today we celebrate the feast of Mary Magdalene, whom Pope Francis calls the Apostle of the apostles: she was the one sent by the Risen Jesus to announce the Resurrection to the Apostles. I reflect on the important role this woman was given by Jesus, and on the role of women in the Church today. I thank God for all the women who helped me know Jesus better, and pray that the Church finds ways of giving women their proper place in her ministry and leadership structures.

PRAYER:

I have seen the Lord! This was Mary’s message: the apostle of the resurrection can only be a witness, someone who has already met the Risen Jesus. I look at my relationship with Jesus, and ask for the grace to know him better so that I can take him to others out of the fullness of my heart.

They Look But Do Not See

JULY 21, 2022, THURSDAY

Thursday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)

Optional Memorial of Saint Lawrence of Brindisi, Priest and Doctor of the Church (White)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 398

Reading 1 

JER 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13

This word of the LORD came to me:

Go, cry out this message for Jerusalem to hear!

I remember the devotion of your youth,

how you loved me as a bride,

Following me in the desert,

in a land unsown.

Sacred to the LORD was Israel,

the first fruits of his harvest;

Should any presume to partake of them,

evil would befall them, says the LORD.

When I brought you into the garden land 

to eat its goodly fruits,

You entered and defiled my land,

you made my heritage loathsome.

The priests asked not,

“Where is the LORD?”

Those who dealt with the law knew me not:

the shepherds rebelled against me.

The prophets prophesied by Baal,

and went after useless idols.

Be amazed at this, O heavens,

and shudder with sheer horror, says the LORD.

Two evils have my people done:

they have forsaken me, the source of living waters;

They have dug themselves cisterns,

broken cisterns, that hold no water.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 36:6-7AB, 8-9, 10-11

R. (10a) With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.

O LORD, your mercy reaches to heaven;

your faithfulness, to the clouds.

Your justice is like the mountains of God;

your judgments, like the mighty deep.

R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.

How precious is your mercy, O God!

The children of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They have their fill of the prime gifts of your house;

from your delightful stream you give them to drink.

R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.

For with you is the fountain of life,

and in your light we see light.

Keep up your mercy toward your friends,

your just defense of the upright of heart.

R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.

Alleluia 

MT 11:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;

you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.

R. Alleluia, alleluia. 

Gospel 

MT 13:10-17

The disciples approached Jesus and said,

“Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?”

He said to them in reply,

“Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven

has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.

To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;

from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

This is why I speak to them in parables, because

they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.

Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:

You shall indeed hear but not understand,

you shall indeed look but never see.

Gross is the heart of this people,

they will hardly hear with their ears,

they have closed their eyes,

lest they see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their hearts and be converted

and I heal them.

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see,

and your ears, because they hear.

Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people

longed to see what you see but did not see it,

and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Are there times when I need to take a step back from the busyness of my life in order to attune myself to the message of Jesus? I ask him now to fill me with a greater awareness of his presence so that I can accept the gifts of love, joy and peace which he offers me.

PRAYER:

Jesus calls me blessed and happy, for I am a witness of his presence, unlike many prophets and holier persons who were living in expectation. I ask for a greater awareness of this presence, and for a deep joy in being a member of the Kingdom.

Parable Of The Sower

JULY 20, 2022, WEDNESDAY

Wednesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)

Optional Memorial of Saint Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr (Red)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 397

Reading 1

Jer 1:1, 4-10

The words of Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah,

of a priestly family in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin.

The word of the LORD came to me thus:

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

before you were born I dedicated you,

a prophet to the nations I appointed you.

“Ah, Lord GOD!” I said,

"I know not how to speak; I am too young.”

But the LORD answered me,

Say not, “I am too young.”

To whomever I send you, you shall go;

whatever I command you, you shall speak.

Have no fear before them,

because I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.

Then the LORD extended his hand and touched my mouth, saying,

See, I place my words in your mouth!

This day I set you

over nations and over kingdoms,

To root up and to tear down,

to destroy and to demolish,

to build and to plant.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 71:1-2, 3-4a, 5-6ab, 15 and 17

R. (see 15ab) I will sing of your salvation.

In you, O LORD, I take refuge;

let me never be put to shame.

In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;

incline your ear to me, and save me.

R. I will sing of your salvation.

Be my rock of refuge,

a stronghold to give me safety,

for you are my rock and my fortress.

O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.

R. I will sing of your salvation.

For you are my hope, O Lord;

my trust, O God, from my youth.

On you I depend from birth;

from my mother’s womb you are my strength.

R. I will sing of your salvation.

My mouth shall declare your justice,

day by day your salvation.

O God, you have taught me from my youth,

and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.

R. I will sing of your salvation.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;

all who come to him will live for ever.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mt 13:1-9

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.

Such large crowds gathered around him

that he got into a boat and sat down,

and the whole crowd stood along the shore.

And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:

“A sower went out to sow.

And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,

and birds came and ate it up.

Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.

It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,

and when the sun rose it was scorched,

and it withered for lack of roots.

Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.

But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,

a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.

Whoever has ears ought to hear."

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus’ parables can heal us to hear and understand how things stand between God and ourselves. They are nuggets of grace that test our heart’s willingness to surrender to the generosity of God.

'Let anyone with ears listen'. This means me! When I come to pray, do I have the soil of an open heart toward Jesus and his teachings? Am I willing to allow his Word to break into my closed heart?

PRAYER:

If I am a normal person, my heart contains all four sorts of ground, being more or less open to the Gospel message. I ask for light to see where the hardness and the insecurity lie, and ask the Sower that my life may bear abundant fruit.

Here Are My Mother And My Brothers

JULY 19, 2022, TUESDAY
Tuesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE C - YEAR II
Lectionary: 396

Reading 1 
MI 7:14-15, 18-20

Shepherd your people with your staff,

the flock of your inheritance,

That dwells apart in a woodland,

in the midst of Carmel.

Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead,

as in the days of old;

As in the days when you came from the land of Egypt,

show us wonderful signs.

Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt

and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance;

Who does not persist in anger forever,

but delights rather in clemency,

And will again have compassion on us,

treading underfoot our guilt?

You will cast into the depths of the sea

all our sins;

You will show faithfulness to Jacob,

and grace to Abraham,

As you have sworn to our fathers

from days of old.

Responsorial Psalm
PS 85:2-4, 5-6, 7-8

R. (8a) Lord, show us your mercy and love.

You have favored, O LORD, your land;

you have brought back the captives of Jacob.

You have forgiven the guilt of your people;

you have covered all their sins.

You have withdrawn all your wrath;

you have revoked your burning anger. 

R. Lord, show us your mercy and love.

Restore us, O God our savior,

and abandon your displeasure against us.

Will you be ever angry with us,

prolonging your anger to all generations?

R. Lord, show us your mercy and love.

Will you not instead give us life;

and shall not your people rejoice in you?

Show us, O LORD, your kindness,

and grant us your salvation. 

R. Lord, show us your mercy and love.

Alleluia 
JN 14:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Whoever loves me will keep my word,

and my Father will love him

and we will come to him.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel 
MT 12:46-50

While Jesus was speaking to the crowds,

his mother and his brothers appeared outside,

wishing to speak with him.

Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside,

asking to speak with you.”

But he said in reply to the one who told him,

“Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”

And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said,

“Here are my mother and my brothers.

For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father

is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus in this reading speaks of two ways he says the people around him belong to his family. Firstly he belongs to the family he was born into, to that of his mother and relations. His other family is made up of those who do the will of God who from now will be his true intimates. Mary belongs to both but she is preeminently the one who has said, “let it be done onto me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). For this reason she is the first disciple of Jesus and the model Christian.

This is the true intimacy Jesus calls you into. Talk to Jesus about this extraordinary call and to Mary about how she felt about being in this extraordinary relationship with Jesus.

PRAYER:

Because I at least try to do the will of God, I am a member of Jesus’ inner family circle! Let this make me happy today. 

Sign Of Jonah

JULY 18, 2022, MONDAY

Monday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 395

Reading 1 

MI 6:1-4, 6-8

Hear what the LORD says:

Arise, present your plea before the mountains,

and let the hills hear your voice!

Hear, O mountains, the plea of the LORD,

pay attention, O foundations of the earth!

For the LORD has a plea against his people,

and he enters into trial with Israel.

O my people, what have I done to you,

or how have I wearied you? Answer me!

For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,

from the place of slavery I released you;

and I sent before you Moses,

Aaron, and Miriam.

With what shall I come before the LORD,

and bow before God most high?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,

with calves a year old?

Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,

with myriad streams of oil?

Shall I give my first-born for my crime,

the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

You have been told, O man, what is good,

and what the LORD requires of you:

Only to do the right and to love goodness,

and to walk humbly with your God.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 50:5-6, 8-9, 16BC-17, 21 AND 23

R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“Gather my faithful ones before me,

those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”

And the heavens proclaim his justice;

for God himself is the judge.

R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,

for your burnt offerings are before me always.

I take from your house no bullock,

no goats out of your fold.”

R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“Why do you recite my statutes,

and profess my covenant with your mouth,

Though you hate discipline

and cast my words behind you?”

R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?

Or do you think that I am like yourself?

I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.

He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;

and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”

R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

Alleluia 

PS 95:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

If today you hear his voice,

harden not your hearts.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel 

MT 12:38-42

Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,

“Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”

He said to them in reply,

“An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign,

but no sign will be given it

except the sign of Jonah the prophet.

Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, 

so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth

three days and three nights.

At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation

and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah;

and there is something greater than Jonah here.

At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation

and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth

to hear the wisdom of Solomon;

and there is something greater than Solomon here.”

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus reminds his hearers of Jonah, whose preaching led the people of Nineveh to change their lives. This is basic call of Jesus too: believe in the good news that I bring and change your lives, open your hearts. I pray not to be deaf to this call, not out of fear but in trust in God who sent me his dearest son, someone greater than Jonah.

PRAYER:

 

Signs from God sometimes seem desirable – and even reasonable to expect. Jesus reminds me that, if I want them, I may be looking in the wrong direction. I pray that I may see and appreciate where God is already at work in the events and relationships of my life.

Jesus At The Home With Martha And Mary

JULY 17, 2022, SUNDAY

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 108

Reading 1

Gn 18:1-10a

The LORD appeared to Abraham by the terebinth of Mamre,

as he sat in the entrance of his tent,

while the day was growing hot.

Looking up, Abraham saw three men standing nearby.

When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them;

and bowing to the ground, he said:

"Sir, if I may ask you this favor,

please do not go on past your servant.

Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet,

and then rest yourselves under the tree.

Now that you have come this close to your servant,

let me bring you a little food, that you may refresh yourselves;

and afterward you may go on your way."

The men replied, "Very well, do as you have said."

Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah,

"Quick, three measures of fine flour! Knead it and make rolls."

He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice steer,

and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it.

Then Abraham got some curds and milk,

as well as the steer that had been prepared,

and set these before the three men;

and he waited on them under the tree while they ate.

They asked Abraham, "Where is your wife Sarah?"

He replied, "There in the tent."

One of them said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year,

and Sarah will then have a son."

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 15:2-3, 3-4, 5

R.(1a) He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

One who walks blamelessly and does justice;

who thinks the truth in his heart

and slanders not with his tongue.

R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

Who harms not his fellow man,

nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;

by whom the reprobate is despised,

while he honors those who fear the LORD.

R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

Who lends not his money at usury

and accepts no bribe against the innocent.

One who does these things

shall never be disturbed.

R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

Reading 2

Col 1:24-28

Brothers and sisters:

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake,

and in my flesh I am filling up

what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ

on behalf of his body, which is the church,

of which I am a minister

in accordance with God's stewardship given to me

to bring to completion for you the word of God,

the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past.

But now it has been manifested to his holy ones,

to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory

of this mystery among the Gentiles;

it is Christ in you, the hope for glory.

It is he whom we proclaim,

admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,

that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.

Alleluia

Cf. Lk 8:15

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart

and yield a harvest through perseverance.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 10:38-42

Jesus entered a village

where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.

She had a sister named Mary

who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.

Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,

"Lord, do you not care

that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?

Tell her to help me."

The Lord said to her in reply,

"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.

There is need of only one thing.

Mary has chosen the better part

and it will not be taken from her."

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Most significant in this story is the attitude taken by Mary, sitting attentively at the feet of Jesus listening to what he was saying. As a true disciple, Mary recognises that Jesus has far more to offer her in terms of spiritual nourishment than she or Martha can offer him. Each of us has to find the balance between service of the Kingdom and moments of serious attentiveness to God. Both the active and contemplative dimensions of Christian life are necessary.

Have I lost sight of what is most important in life? Am I so busy doing many things that I do not have any time for God? Is my work for the Lord causing me to be anxious and troubled? Has love disappeared? Lord, please help me to put things in perspective and not to lose sight of my mission in life, which is ‘to love and serve in all things’.

PRAYER:

Lord, there have been times when I was more in touch with my own habits and emotions than those of the friends who come to me. Give me antennae like Mary's.