Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 128
Reading 1 from the holy book of Isaiah
Is 35:4-7A
Thus says the LORD:Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
The Lord tell Isaiah to speak to those who are afraid
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Don't be afraid, God says, I am here 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.
This is what happened when Jesus came. Therefore Isaiah's words are a prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ:
Luke 7:22
King James Version (KJV)
22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 146:7, 8-9, 9-10
Respond. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul!or alternatively:
Respond. Alleluia.
The God of Jacob keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul! or: Alleluia.
The LORD gives sight to the blind;
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: Alleluia.
The fatherless and the widow the LORD sustains,
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: Alleluia.
We are in this life to suffer:
1 Peter 2:21King James Version (KJV)21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
I think it was yesterday that we read how suffering is a sign of predestination.
Romans 8:17King James Version (KJV)17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
But in heaven, God will wipe away every tear:
Revelation 21:4King James Version (KJV)4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Reading 2 from the Epistle of St. James
Jas 2:1-5
My brothers and sisters, show no partialityas you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.
St. James tells us to treat people equally. In this way, we imitate our Father in heaven. As Scripture says:
Matthew 5:45King James Version (KJV)45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
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?
St. James offers an illustration. He says, if a poor man and a rich man come into your Church, do you send the poor man away from you and ask the rich man to sit with you? And if you do so, have you not exalted yourself above your fellow man?
Luke 14:11King James Version (KJV)11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
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?
St. James continues, he says, listen to me, didn't God reveal the secrets of His Kingdom to the poor?
1 Corinthians 1:27-31
King James Version (KJV)
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
To which I add, didn't Jesus say that the rich would enter the Kingdom of His Father with a great deal of difficulty?
Matthew 19:23
King James Version (KJV)
23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark
Mk 7:31-37
Again Jesus left the district of Tyreand went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
Jesus left the district of Tyre and entered into the Decapolis.
If the map shows, you will see Tyre on the upper left hand side and the Decapolis consists of the cities numbered from 1 - 10.
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.
Jesus cured the deaf man with a speech impediment.
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."
The people were very impressed by Jesus and no matter how much He told them not to, they told everyone they could about the great things which He did.
Sincerely,
De Maria
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