Christ the King - November 22, 2009

First Reading

Daniel 7:13-14

 

As the visions during the night continued, I saw

one like a Son of man coming,

on the clouds of heaven;

when he reached the Ancient One

and was presented before him,

the one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship;

all peoples, nations, and languages serve him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

that shall not be taken away,

his kingship shall not be destroyed.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 93:1-2, 5

 

R. The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.

 

The LORD is king, in splendor robed;

robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.

 

R. The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.

 

And he has made the world firm,

not to be moved.

Your throne stands firm from of old;

from everlasting you are, O LORD.

 

R. The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.

 

Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed;

holiness befits your house,

O LORD, for length of days.

 

R. The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.

 

Second Reading

Revelation 1:5-8

 

Jesus Christ is the faithful witness,

the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,

who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father,

to him be glory and power forever and ever.  Amen.

Behold, he is coming amid the clouds,

and every eye will see him,

even those who pierced him.

All the peoples of the earth will lament him.

Yes.  Amen.

 

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, " says the Lord God,

"the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty."

 

Gospel

John 18:33-37

 

Pilate said to Jesus,

"Are you the King of the Jews?"

Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your own

or have others told you about me?"

Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I?

Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.

What have you done?"

Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world.

If my kingdom did belong to this world,

my attendants would be fighting

to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.

But as it is, my kingdom is not here."

So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?"

Jesus answered, "You say I am a king.

For this I was born and for this I came into the world,

to testify to the truth.

Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

 

Readings taken from: Lectionary for Mass, Vol. 1, Cycle A. National Conference of Catholic Bishop.

October 18, 2009 - Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading

Isaiah 53:10-11

 

The LORD was pleased

to crush him in infirmity.

 

If he gives his life as an offering for sin,

he shall see his descendants in a long life,

and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.

 

Because of his affliction

he shall see the light in fullness

of days;

through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,

and their guilt he shall bear.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 33:4-5, 18-20, 22

 

R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

 

Upright is the word of the LORD,

and all his works are trustworthy.

He loves justice and right;

of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.

 

R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

 

See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,

upon those who hope for his kindness,

To deliver them from death

and preserve them in spite of famine.

 

R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

 

Our soul waits for the LORD,

who is our help and our shield.

May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us

who have put our hope in you.

 

R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

 

Second Reading

Hebrews 4:14-16

 

R. (22)Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

Upright is the word of the LORD,

and all his works are trustworthy.

He loves justice and right;

of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.

R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,

upon those who hope for his kindness,

To deliver them from death

and preserve them in spite of famine.

R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

Our soul waits for the LORD,

who is our help and our shield.

May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us

who have put our hope in you.

R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

 

Gospel

Mark 10:35-45 or 10:42-45

 

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him,

"Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you."

He replied, "What do you wish me to do for you?"

They answered him, "Grant that in your glory

we may sit one at your right and the other at your left."

Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking.

Can you drink the cup that I drink

or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"

They said to him, "We can."

Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink, you will drink,

and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;

but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give

but is for those for whom it has been prepared."

When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John.

Jesus summoned them and said to them,

"You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles

lord it over them,

and their great ones make their authority over them felt.

But it shall not be so among you.

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

whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.

For the Son of Man did not come to be served

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

 

Readings taken from: Lectionary for Mass, Vol. 1, Cycle A. National Conference of Catholic Bishop.

 

September 20, 2009 - Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading

Wisdom 2:12, 17-20

 

The wicked say:

Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;

he sets himself against our doings,

reproaches us for transgressions of the law

and charges us with violations of our training.

Let us see whether his words be true;

let us find out what will happen to him.

For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him

and deliver him from the hand of his foes.

With revilement and torture let us put the just one to the test

that we may have proof of his gentleness

and try his patience.

Let us condemn him to a shameful death;

for according to his own words, God will take care of him.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 54:3-8

 

R. The Lord upholds my life.

 

O God, by your name save me,

and by your might defend my cause.

O God, hear my prayer;

hearken to the words of my mouth.

 

R. The Lord upholds my life.

 

For the haughty men have risen up against me,

the ruthless  seek my life;

they set not God before their eyes.

 

R. The Lord upholds my life.

 

Behold, God is my helper;

the Lord sustains my life.

Freely will I offer you sacrifice;

I will praise your name, O LORD, for its goodness.

 

R. The Lord upholds my life.

 

Second Reading

James 3:16 -- 4:3

 

Beloved:

Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,

there is disorder and every foul practice.

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,

then peaceable, gentle, compliant,

full of mercy and good fruits,

without inconstancy or insincerity.

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace

for those who cultivate peace.

 

Where do the wars

and where do the conflicts among you come from?

Is it not from your passions

that make war within your members?

You covet but do not possess.

You kill and envy but you cannot obtain;

you fight and wage war.

You do not possess because you do not ask.

You ask but do not receive,

because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

 

Gospel

Mark 9:30-37

 

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,

but he did not wish anyone to know about it.

He was teaching his disciples and telling them,

"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men

and they will kill him,

and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise."

But they did not understand the saying,

and they were afraid to question him.

 

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,

he began to ask them,

"What were you arguing about on the way?"

But they remained silent.

They had been discussing among themselves on the way

who was the greatest.

Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,

"If anyone wishes to be first,

he shall be the last of all and the servant of all."

Taking a child, he placed it in the their midst,

and putting his arms around it, he said to them,

"Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;

and whoever receives me,

receives not me but the One who sent me."

 

Readings taken from: Lectionary for Mass, Vol. 1, Cycle A. National Conference of Catholic Bishop.

September 5, 2009 - Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading

Isaiah 35:4-7

 

Thus says the LORD:

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

Psalm 146:7-10

 

R. Praise the Lord, my soul!

 

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!

 

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!

 

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!

 

Second Reading

James 2:1-5

 

My brothers and sisters, show no partiality

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?

 

Gospel

Mark 7:31-37

 

Again Jesus left the district of Tyre

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."

 

Readings taken from: Lectionary for Mass, Vol. 1, Cycle A. National Conference of Catholic Bishop.

August 30, 2009 - Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading

Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8

 

Moses said to the people:

"Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees

which I am teaching you to observe,

that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land

which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.

In your observance of the commandments of the LORD, your God,

which I enjoin upon you,

you shall not add to what I command you nor subtract from it.

Observe them carefully,

for thus will you give evidence

of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations,

who will hear of all these statutes and say,

'This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.'

For what great nation is there

that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us

whenever we call upon him?

Or what great nation has statutes and decrees

that are as just as this whole law

which I am setting before you today?"

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 15:2-5

 

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

 

Whoever walks blamelessly and does justice;

who thinks the truth in his heart

   and slanders not with his tongue.

 

R.  One 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.  One 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.

Whoever does these things

shall never be disturbed.

 

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

 

Second Reading

James 1:17-18, 21-22, 27

 

Dearest brothers and sisters:

All good giving and every perfect gift is from above,

coming down from the Father of lights,

with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.

He willed to give us birth by the word of truth

that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

 

Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you

and is able to save your souls.

 

Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.

 

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this:

to care for orphans and widows in their affliction

and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

 

Gospel

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

 

When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem

gathered around Jesus,

they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals

with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.

—For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews,

do not eat without carefully washing their hands,

keeping the tradition of the elders.

And on coming from the marketplace

they do not eat without purifying themselves.

And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed,

the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds. —

So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,

"Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders

but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?"

He responded,

"Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written:

This people honors me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me;

in vain do they worship me,

teaching as doctrines human precepts.

You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition."

 

He summoned the crowd again and said to them,

"Hear me, all of you, and understand.

Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person;

but the things that come out from within are what defile.

 

"From within people, from their hearts,

come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,

adultery, greed, malice, deceit,

licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.

All these evils come from within and they defile."

 

Readings taken from: Lectionary for Mass, Vol. 1, Cycle A. National Conference of Catholic Bishop.

August 23, 2009 - Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading

Joshua 24:1-2, 15-18

 

Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem,

summoning their elders, their leaders,

their judges, and their officers.

When they stood in ranks before God,

Joshua addressed all the people:

"If it does not please you to serve the LORD,

decide today whom you will serve,

the gods your fathers served beyond the River

or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are now dwelling.

As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

 

But the people answered,

"Far be it from us to forsake the LORD

for the service of other gods.

For it was the LORD, our God,

who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt,

out of a state of slavery.

He performed those great miracles before our very eyes

and protected us along our entire journey

and among the peoples through whom we passed.

Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God."

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 34:2-3, 16-21

 

R.  Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

 

I will bless the LORD at all times;

            his praise shall be ever in my mouth.

Let my soul glory in the LORD;

            the lowly will hear me and be glad.

 

R.  Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

 

The LORD has eyes for the just,

            and ears for their cry.

The LORD confronts the evildoers,

            to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.

 

R.  Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

 

When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,

            and from all their distress he rescues them.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;

            and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.

 

R.  Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

 

Many are the troubles of the just one,

            but out of them all the LORD delivers him;

he watches over all his bones;

            not one of them shall be broken.

 

R.  Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

 

Second Reading

Ephesians 5:21-32 or 5:2, 25-32

 

Brothers and sisters:

Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.

For the husband is head of his wife

just as Christ is head of the church,

he himself the savior of the body.

As the church is subordinate to Christ,

so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives,

even as Christ loved the church

and handed himself over for her to sanctify her,

cleansing her by the bath of water with the word,

that he might present to himself the church in splendor,

without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,

that she might be holy and without blemish.

So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.

He who loves his wife loves himself.

For no one hates his own flesh

but rather nourishes and cherishes it,

even as Christ does the church,

because we are members of his body.

For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother

and be joined to his wife,

and the two shall become one flesh.

This is a great mystery,

but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.

 

Gospel

John 6:60-69

 

Many of Jesus'disciples who were listening said,

"This saying is hard; who can accept it?"

Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,

he said to them, "Does this shock you?

What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending

to where he was before?

It is the spirit that gives life,

while the flesh is of no avail.

The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.

But there are some of you who do not believe."

Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe

and the one who would betray him.

And he said,

"For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me

unless it is granted him by my Father."

 

Readings taken from: Lectionary for Mass, Vol. 1, Cycle A. National Conference of Catholic Bishop.

August 9, 2009 - Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading

1 Kings 19:4-8

 

Elijah went a day's journey into the desert,

until he came to a broom tree and sat beneath it.

He prayed for death saying:

"This is enough, O LORD!

Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers."

He lay down and fell asleep under the broom tree,

but then an angel touched him and ordered him to get up and eat.

Elijah looked and there at his head was a hearth cake

and a jug of water.

After he ate and drank, he lay down again,

but the angel of the LORD came back a second time,

touched him, and ordered,

"Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!"

He got up, ate, and drank;

then strengthened by that food,

he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 34:2-9

 

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

 

I will bless the LORD at all times;

his praise shall be ever in my mouth.

Let my soul glory in the LORD;

the lowly will hear me and be glad.

 

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

 

Glorify the LORD with me,

Let us together extol his name.

I sought the LORD, and he answered me

And delivered me from all my fears.

 

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

 

Look to him that you may be radiant with joy.

And your faces may not blush with shame.

When the afflicted man called out, the LORD heard,

And from all his distress he saved him.

 

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

 

The angel of the LORD encamps

around those who fear him and delivers them.

Taste and see how good the LORD is;

blessed the man who takes refuge in him.

 

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

 

Second Reading

Ephesians 4:30 -- 5:2

 

Brothers and sisters:

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,

with which you were sealed for the day of redemption.

All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling

must be removed from you, along with all malice.

And be kind to one another, compassionate,

forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.

 

So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love,

as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us

as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma

 

Gospel

John 6:41-51

 

The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said,

"I am the bread that came down from heaven, "

and they said,

"Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph?

Do we not know his father and mother?

Then how can he say,

'I have come down from heaven'?"

Jesus answered and said to them,

"Stop murmuring among yourselves.

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,

and I will raise him on the last day.

It is written in the prophets:

They shall all be taught by God.

Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.

Not that anyone has seen the Father

except the one who is from God;

he has seen the Father.

Amen, amen, I say to you,

whoever believes has eternal life.

I am the bread of life.

Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;

this is the bread that comes down from heaven

so that one may eat it and not die.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven;

whoever eats this bread will live forever;

and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."

 

Readings taken from: Lectionary for Mass, Vol. 1, Cycle A. National Conference of Catholic Bishop.a