Daily Readings August 3, 2012

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Friday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 405

Reading 1 Jer 26:1-9

In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim,
son of Josiah, king of Judah,
this message came from the LORD:

When Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, was King of Judah,
the Lord spoke to Jeremiah.

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;

The Lord said, go to the Temple and in the yard, speak to the people
of all the cities of Judah that are coming here to worship.

whatever I command you, tell them, and omit nothing.
Perhaps they will listen and turn back,
each from his evil way,

Tell them everything I tell you to say and perhaps they will
hear you and change their sinful ways.

so that I may repent of the evil I have planned to inflict upon them
for their evil deeds.

If they do, I will cancel my plans to punish 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.

Tell them I said that if they continue to disobey me and my prophets,
I will destroy them to the extent that when people speak of this city,
they shall only mention it in curses.

Now the priests, the prophets, and all the people
heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the LORD.

Everyone in Jerusalem heard Jeremiah speak.

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!

And when he was done telling them all the Lord bid, they grabbed him
and threatened to kill him.

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.

"Why do you threaten us in the name of the Lord?!"  They cried.
And they all gathered around him.

I feel so bad for Jeremiah when I read those words.  It is no wonder that he also said:

Jeremiah 20:7-12

King James Version (KJV)

⁷ O Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived; thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.
⁸ For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.
⁹ Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
¹⁰ For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.
¹¹ But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.
¹² But, O Lord of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 69:5, 8-10, 14

Response. (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.

The Psalm recounts how those who convert to the Lord must be prepared to suffer with Him
in order that they may be glorified with Him (Rom 8:17).

Gospel Mt 13:54-58

Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue.

Jesus came home to Galilee.

They were astonished and said,
"Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?
Is he not the carpenter's son'

A reference to St. Joseph.

Is not his mother named Mary

A reference to either Mary, His mother
or the other Mary, His mother's cousin and mother of the children
listed below.

John 19:25

King James Version (KJV)

²⁵ Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.

and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas'

These, although called "brothers" are Jesus' cousins by virtue of His cousin, Mary, their mother:

Matthew 27:56
Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, ....

Are not his sisters all with us'

That would be Mary, the mother of James and Salome, her daughter.

Mark 15:40

King James Version (KJV)

⁴⁰ There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;

Where did this man get all this?"
And they took offense at him.

The people of Galilee were astonished at His learning
and were offended that He was not the same little boy
that was raised in their midst.

But Jesus said to them,
"A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and in his own house."
And he did not work many mighty deeds there
because of their lack of faith.

And because of this, Jesus could not work any miracles there.
Because they lacked faith in Him.

Sincerely,

De Maria