August 18, 2013

USCCB »  Bible »  Daily Readings

« August 17  |  August 19 »

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time 
Lectionary: 120

Reading 1JER 38:4-6, 8-10

In those days, the princes said to the king:
“Jeremiah ought to be put to death;
he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in this city,
and all the people, by speaking such things to them;
he is not interested in the welfare of our people,
but in their ruin.”

The leaders of Israel were upset with Jeremiah because he kept reminding them of their sins.  

King Zedekiah answered: “He is in your power”;
for the king could do nothing with them.

And, like Pontius Pilate, the King washed his hands of the situation and put the poor Jeremiah in the power of the leaders.

And so they took Jeremiah
and threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah,
which was in the quarters of the guard,
letting him down with ropes.
There was no water in the cistern, only mud,
and Jeremiah sank into the mud.

And the leaders of Israel, took Jeremiah and threw him in a deep and muddy hole where he sank into the mud.

Ebed-melech, a court official,
went there from the palace and said to him:
“My lord king,
these men have been at fault
in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah,
casting him into the cistern.
He will die of famine on the spot,
for there is no more food in the city.”

But a righteous man, Ebed-melech, came to Jeremiah's aid and asked the King to save Jeremiah.

Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Cushite
to take three men along with him,
and draw the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before
he should die.

And the King sent three men to go with Ebed and pull Jeremiah out of that muddy hole.

Responsorial PsalmPS 40:2, 3, 4, 18

R. (14b) Lord, come to my aid!

I have waited, waited for the LORD,

and he stooped toward me.

R. Lord, come to my aid!

The LORD heard my cry.

He drew me out of the pit of destruction,

out of the mud of the swamp;

he set my feet upon a crag;

he made firm my steps.

R. Lord, come to my aid!

And he put a new song into my mouth,

a hymn to our God.

Many shall look on in awe

and trust in the LORD.

R. Lord, come to my aid!

Though I am afflicted and poor,

yet the LORD thinks of me.

You are my help and my deliverer;

O my God, hold not back!

R. Lord, come to my aid!

When things look bad and you feel as though God has abandoned you, remember that your faith is being tested.  Hold on!  Hold on to God with even more faith and more strength.  Know that your faith is being purified.

1 Peter 1:7

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Reading 2HEB 12:1-4

Brothers and sisters:
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us

Remember also that we have a family of elder brothers and sisters who are ready, willing and able to stand before God and testify on our behalf.  We are surrounded by witnesses and advocates who will come with us to the Judgment seat of Christ and speak in our behalf.  Not the least of these is Mary, the Mother of God.

and persevere in running the race that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith.

And keep doing good, persevering to the end.  No one runs a race with the intent of stopping in the middle or of turning back.  Run the race to the end and don't be disqualified.  Persevere in well doing and you will be blessed.  

For the sake of the joy that lay before him
he endured the cross, despising its shame,
and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.
Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners,
in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.

And remember, Jesus did not suffer and die in order that we should not suffer and die.  In this world, we will have trouble.  Jesus suffered and died in order to give us an example to follow in His steps.  To give us an example of how to give up our lives for those we love.

GospelLK 12:49-53

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!

Jesus can't wait for the day that the Holy Spirit enkindles the fire of love in all the faithful.

There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!

He is speaking here of the Baptism which He receives in His own blood, in His Passion and Crucifixion.

Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

Jesus came to His people, the Jews.  But not all the jews turned to Jesus.  Many did not understand that Jesus is God.  They wouldn't accept that Jesus is the Messiah.  And so, the Kingdom of Israel was split in two.  Those who believed in Jesus and those who didn't.