Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 89

Reading 1 Gn 3:9-15

After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree,
the LORD God called to the man and asked him, "Where are you?"
He answered, "I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself."
Then he asked, "Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!"
The man replied, "The woman whom you put here with me—
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it."
The LORD God then asked the woman,
"Why did you do such a thing?"
The woman answered, "The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it."

Then the LORD God said to the serpent:
"Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
on your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

R. (7bc) With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to my voice in supplication.
R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
LORD, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
that you may be revered.
R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
More than sentinels wait for the dawn,
let Israel wait for the LORD.
R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
For with the LORD is kindness
and with him is plenteous redemption
and he will redeem Israel
from all their iniquities.
R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.

Reading 2 2 Cor 4:13—5:1

Brothers and sisters:
Since we have the same spirit of faith,
according to what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke,
we too believe and therefore we 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.
Therefore, we are not discouraged;
rather, although our outer self is wasting away,
our inner self is being renewed day by day.
For this momentary light affliction
is producing for us an eternal weight of glory
beyond all comparison,
as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen;
for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal.
For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent,
should be destroyed,
we have a building from God,
a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven.

Alleluia Jn 12:31b-32

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Now the ruler of the world will be driven out, says the Lord;
and when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 3:20-35

Jesus came home with his disciples.
Again the crowd gathered,
making it impossible for them even to eat.
When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him,
for they said, "He is out of his mind."
The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said,
"He is possessed by Beelzebul,"
and "By the prince of demons he drives out demons."

Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables,
"How can Satan drive out Satan?
If a kingdom is divided against itself,
that kingdom cannot stand.
And if a house is divided against itself,
that house will not be able to stand.
And if Satan has risen up against himself
and is divided, he cannot stand;
that is the end of him.
But no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property
unless he first ties up the strong man.
Then he can plunder the house.
Amen, I say to you,
all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be
forgiven them.
But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will never have forgiveness,
but is guilty of an everlasting sin."
For they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."

His mother and his brothers arrived.
Standing outside they sent word to him and called him.
A crowd seated around him told him,
"Your mother and your brothers and your sisters
are outside asking for you."
But he said to them in reply,
"Who are my mother and my brothers?"
And looking around at those seated in the circle he said,
"Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of God
is my brother and sister and mother."

My Brothers and Sisters,

 We as Christians are all united under Our Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus came to this earth in the flesh, He established His Universal Church where it was through baptism that we became members and claimed our birthright as Children of God. The divisions within the Church are caused by us and not by Jesus. We were given something perfect and in our brokenness we caused it to be broken. This was not by Jesus’ design but by our own selfishness. Each separation can be traced back to an event which was perpetuated by human interests and nothing divinely inspired. This goes back to the first breaking off and continues to the modern day. Jesus says in the Gospel Reading today that a house divided cannot stand. He continues by saying that those who are His mothers and brothers are the ones that follow Him. If this is the case then divisions within that spiritual unity can only be observed as unnatural. We are a family with God as our Father. We are supposed to be focused on our relationship with Jesus Christ and how it can effect our lives daily and bring us closer to Him. Unfortunately, in our humanness, our own selfish desires tend to get in the way of this relationship as it does in many others.

The First Reading today reminds us how, even when we are given everything, we will still be in danger of wanting and taking more. We were in a perfect relationship with God. That is how He created us. We wanted for nothing and enjoyed everything. Yet, in our selfishness and pride, we craved more. We took more and pursued our own interests thinking that we knew better than God regarding what would make us happy. That was our condition then and this is our condition today. God is constantly pleading with us to surrender our will to Him in order to experience a better way and a better life. Even though we all know what a life without Him brings, we still struggle daily with handing it over to Him. This brings about yet another unnatural division with our relationship and within our community.

The Good News is that a realization of this condition can bring about healing. A willingness to change and to live the Christ Experience gives us the capability to overcome these obstacles that we created for ourselves. With God there is indeed chastisement but there is also consolation and mercy. What we may perceive as punishment is actually wisdom, instruction, and love. Through our benefit of experience, God is leading us to something better if we only listen to Him and acknowledge His presence. There is no need to hide from Him and dismissing Him only brings us misery. We already know this so the logical thing to do is to stop doing that which is destroying us in the first place.  What He wants is for us to embrace Him and live our lives with Him.

Jesus makes us an unbelievable promise in the Gospel Reading today:

“all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be
forgiven them.”

We come to Him broken and sinful. Nobody is exempt from this condition. Yet, just like these divisions that we have and continue to create, it is unnatural and Jesus explains that He wants to make our condition natural again. He wants us to be like we were previously: childlike, innocent, and joyful. This is the key to a fulfilling and beautiful life. We cannot be afraid to break down what we already built and start over again. We should be invigorated and excited about discovering a new way of looking at and doing things. As Paul mentioned in his letter today:

“our inner self is being renewed day by day.”

He tells us that whatever we face today is nothing in comparison to what Jesus Christ has in store for us. There is so much faith and hope in that promise. What is even better is the fact that we as Christians already know that it is true. The only reason why we are fearful to embrace that truth is that we all have this struggle with accepting that someone else has influence over our lives other than ourselves. Truly we must take a step back, let go, and let God do the work within us that He wants to do. The results will speak for themselves.

Deacon Tom

X Domingo ordinario
Leccionario: 89

Primera lectura

Gen 3, 9-15

Después de que el hombre y la mujer comieron del fruto del árbol prohibido, el Señor Dios llamó al hombre y le preguntó: “¿Dónde estás?” Éste le respondió: “Oí tus pasos en el jardín; y tuve miedo, porque estoy desnudo, y me escondí”. Entonces le dijo Dios: “¿Y quién te ha dicho que estabas desnudo? ¿Has comido acaso del árbol del que te prohibí comer?”

Respondió Adán: “La mujer que me diste por compañera me ofreció del fruto del árbol y comí”. El Señor Dios dijo a la mujer: “¿Por qué has hecho esto?” Repuso la mujer: “La serpiente me engañó y comí”.

Entonces dijo el Señor Dios a la serpiente:
“Porque has hecho esto,
serás maldita entre todos los animales
y entre todas las bestias salvajes.

Te arrastrarás sobre tu vientre y comerás polvo
todos los días de tu vida.
Pondré enemistad entre ti y la mujer,
entre tu descendencia y la suya;
y su descendencia te aplastará la cabeza,
mientras tú tratarás de morder su talón”.

Salmo Responsorial

Salmo 129, 1-2. 3-4ab. 4c-6.7-8

R. (7) Perdónanos, Señor, y viviremos.
Desde el abismo de mis pecados clamo a ti;
Señor, escucha mi clamor;
que estén atentos tus oídos
a mi voz suplicante.
R. Perdónanos, Señor, y viviremos.
Si conservaras el recuerdo de las culpas,
¿quién habría, Señor, que se salvara?
Pero de ti procede el perdón,
por eso con amor te veneramos.
R. Perdónanos, Señor, y viviremos.
Confío en el Señor,
mi alma espera y confía en su palabra;
mi alma aguarda al Señor.
mucho más que a la aurora el centinela.
R. Perdónanos, Señor, y viviremos.
Como aguarda a la aurora el centinela,
aguarda Israel del Señor,
porque del Señor viene la misericordia,
y la abundancia de la redención,
y él redimirá a su pueblo
de todas sus iniquidades.
R. Perdónanos, Señor, y viviremos.

Segunda lectura

2 Cor 4, 13–5, 1

Hermanos: Como poseemos el mismo espíritu de fe que se expresa en aquel texto de la Escritura: Creo, por eso hablo, también nosotros creemos y por eso hablamos, sabiendo que aquel que resucitó a Jesús nos resucitará también a nosotros con Jesús y nos colocará a su lado con ustedes. Y todo esto es para bien de ustedes, de manera que, al extenderse la gracia a más y más personas, se multiplique la acción de gracias para gloria de Dios.

Por esta razón no nos acobardamos; pues aunque nuestro cuerpo se va desgastando, nuestro espíritu se renueva de día en día. Nuestros sufrimientos momentáneos y ligeros nos producen una riqueza eterna, una gloria que los sobrepasa con exceso.

Nosotros no ponemos la mira en lo que se ve, sino en lo que no se ve, porque lo que se ve es transitorio y lo que no se ve es eterno. Sabemos que, aunque se desmorone esta morada terrena, que nos sirve de habitación, Dios nos tiene preparada en el cielo una morada eterna, no construida por manos humanas.

Aclamación antes del Evangelio

Jn 12, 31-32

R. Aleluya, aleluya.
Ya va a ser arrojado el príncipe de este mundo.
Cuando yo sea levantado de la tierra,
atraeré a todos hacia mí, dice el Señor.
R. Aleluya.

Evangelio

Mc 3, 20-35

En aquel tiempo, Jesús entró en una casa con sus discípulos y acudió tanta gente, que no los dejaban ni comer. Al enterarse sus parientes, fueron a buscarlo, pues decían que se había vuelto loco.

Los escribas que habían venido de Jerusalén, decían acerca de Jesús: “Este hombre está poseído por Satanás, príncipe de los demonios, y por eso los echa fuera”.

Jesús llamó entonces a los escribas y les dijo en parábolas: “¿Cómo puede Satanás expulsar a Satanás? Porque si un reino está dividido en bandos opuestos, no puede subsistir. Una familia dividida tampoco puede subsistir. De la misma manera, si Satanás se rebela contra sí mismo y se divide, no podrá subsistir, pues ha llegado su fin. Nadie puede entrar en la casa de un hombre fuerte y llevarse sus cosas, si primero no lo ata. Sólo así podrá saquear la casa.

Yo les aseguro que a los hombres se les perdonarán todos sus pecados y todas sus blasfemias. Pero el que blasfeme contra el Espíritu Santo nunca tendrá perdón; será reo de un pecado eterno”. Jesús dijo esto, porque lo acusaban de estar poseído por un espíritu inmundo.

Llegaron entonces su madre y sus parientes; se quedaron fuera y lo mandaron llamar. En torno a él estaba sentada una multitud, cuando le dijeron: “Ahí fuera están tu madre y tus hermanos, que te buscan”.

Él les respondió: “¿Quién es mi madre y quiénes son mis hermanos?” Luego, mirando a los que estaban sentados a su alrededor, dijo: “Éstos son mi madre y mis hermanos. Porque el que cumple la voluntad de Dios, ése es mi hermano, mi hermana y mi madre”.

Mis hermanos y hermanas,

 Nosotros como cristianos estamos todos unidos bajo Nuestro Señor Jesucristo. Cuando Jesús vino a esta tierra en la carne, estableció su Iglesia Universal donde fue a través del bautismo que nos hicimos miembros y reclamamos nuestro derecho de nacimiento como hijos de Dios. Las divisiones dentro de la Iglesia son causadas por nosotros y no por Jesús. Nos dieron algo perfecto y en nuestro quebranto causamos que se rompa. Esto no fue por el diseño de Jesús sino por nuestro propio egoísmo. Cada separación se puede remontar a un evento que fue perpetuado por los intereses humanos y nada divinamente inspirado. Esto se remonta a la primera interrupción y continúa hasta la actualidad. Jesús dice en la lectura del Evangelio de hoy que una casa dividida no puede mantenerse. Continúa diciendo que aquellos que son sus madres y hermanos son los que lo siguen. Si este es el caso, las divisiones dentro de esa unidad espiritual solo pueden observarse como no naturales. Somos una familia con Dios como nuestro Padre. Se supone que debemos centrarnos en nuestra relación con Jesucristo y cómo puede afectar nuestras vidas a diario y acercarnos más a él. Desafortunadamente, en nuestra condición humana, nuestros propios deseos egoístas tienden a interponerse en el camino de esta relación como lo hace en muchos otros.

La Primera lectura de hoy nos recuerda cómo, incluso cuando se nos da todo, todavía corremos el peligro de querer y tomar más. Estábamos en una relación perfecta con Dios. Así es como Él nos creó. No queríamos nada y disfrutamos de todo. Sin embargo, en nuestro egoísmo y orgullo, ansiamos más. Tomamos más y perseguimos nuestros propios intereses pensando que sabíamos mejor que Dios con respecto a lo que nos haría felices. Esa era nuestra condición entonces y esta es nuestra condición hoy. Dios nos suplica constantemente que entreguemos nuestra voluntad a Él para experimentar un mejor camino y una vida mejor. A pesar de que todos sabemos lo que trae una vida sin él, todavía luchamos todos los días para entregárselo a él. Esto provoca otra división antinatural con nuestra relación y dentro de nuestra comunidad.

La buena noticia es que la realización de esta condición puede provocar la curación. La voluntad de cambiar y vivir la experiencia de Cristo nos da la capacidad de superar estos obstáculos que creamos para nosotros mismos. Para Dios hay castigo, pero también hay consuelo y misericordia. Lo que podemos percibir como castigo es en realidad sabiduría, instrucción y amor. A través de nuestro beneficio de la experiencia, Dios nos está guiando a algo mejor si solo lo escuchamos y reconocemos su presencia. No hay necesidad de esconderse de Él y despedirlo solo nos trae miseria. Ya lo sabemos, así que lo más lógico es dejar de hacer lo que nos está destruyendo en primer lugar. Lo que Él quiere es que lo abracemos y vivamos nuestras vidas con él.



Jesús nos hace una promesa increíble en la lectura del Evangelio de hoy:

"Todos los pecados y todas las blasfemias que las personas pronuncien serán
los perdonó ".

Venimos a Él quebrantado y pecaminoso. Nadie está exento de esta condición. Sin embargo, al igual que estas divisiones que tenemos y seguimos creando, no es natural y Jesús explica que quiere que nuestra condición vuelva a ser natural. Él quiere que seamos como éramos anteriormente: infantil, inocente y alegre. Esta es la clave para una vida plena y hermosa. No podemos tener miedo de descomponer lo que ya construimos y empezar de nuevo. Debemos ser vigorizados y entusiasmados con el descubrimiento de una nueva forma de ver y hacer las cosas. Como lo mencionó Paul en su carta de hoy:

"Nuestro yo interior se renueva día a día".

Él nos dice que todo lo que enfrentamos hoy no es nada en comparación con lo que Jesucristo tiene reservado para nosotros. Hay tanta fe y esperanza en esa promesa. Lo que es aún mejor es el hecho de que nosotros como cristianos ya sabemos que es verdad. La única razón por la cual tememos abrazar esa verdad es que todos tenemos esta lucha al aceptar que alguien más tiene influencia sobre nuestras vidas además de nosotros mismos. Verdaderamente debemos dar un paso atrás, dejarlo ir, y dejar que Dios haga el trabajo dentro de nosotros que Él quiere hacer. Los resultados hablarán por sí mismos.

Diácono Tom

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Lectionary: 168

Reading 1 Ex 24:3-8

When Moses came to the people
and related all the words and ordinances of the LORD,
they all answered with one voice,
"We will do everything that the LORD has told us."
Moses then wrote down all the words of the LORD and,
rising early the next day,
he erected at the foot of the mountain an altar
and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.
Then, having sent certain young men of the Israelites
to offer holocausts and sacrifice young bulls
as peace offerings to the LORD,
Moses took half of the blood and put it in large bowls;
the other half he splashed on the altar.
Taking the book of the covenant, he read it aloud to the people,
who answered, "All that the LORD has said, we will heed and do."
Then he took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, saying,
"This is the blood of the covenant
that the LORD has made with you
in accordance with all these words of his."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 116:12-13, 15-16, 17-18

R. (13) I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
R. I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
R. I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 Heb 9:11-15

Brothers and sisters:
When Christ came as high priest
of the good things that have come to be,
passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle
not made by hands, that is, not belonging to this creation,
he entered once for all into the sanctuary,
not with the blood of goats and calves
but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.
For if the blood of goats and bulls
and the sprinkling of a heifer's ashes
can sanctify those who are defiled
so that their flesh is cleansed,
how much more will the blood of Christ,
who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God,
cleanse our consciences from dead works
to worship the living God.

For this reason he is mediator of a new covenant:
since a death has taken place for deliverance
from transgressions under the first covenant,
those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.

 

Sequence

Lauda Sion

Laud, O Zion, your salvation,
Laud with hymns of exultation,
Christ, your king and shepherd true:

Bring him all the praise you know,
He is more than you bestow.
Never can you reach his due.

Special theme for glad thanksgiving
Is the quick’ning and the living
Bread today before you set:

From his hands of old partaken,
As we know, by faith unshaken,
Where the Twelve at supper met.

Full and clear ring out your chanting,
Joy nor sweetest grace be wanting,
From your heart let praises burst:

For today the feast is holden,
When the institution olden
Of that supper was rehearsed.

Here the new law’s new oblation,
By the new king’s revelation,
Ends the form of ancient rite:

Now the new the old effaces,
Truth away the shadow chases,
Light dispels the gloom of night.

What he did at supper seated,
Christ ordained to be repeated,
His memorial ne’er to cease:

And his rule for guidance taking,
Bread and wine we hallow, making
Thus our sacrifice of peace.

This the truth each Christian learns,
Bread into his flesh he turns,
To his precious blood the wine:

Sight has fail’d, nor thought conceives,
But a dauntless faith believes,
Resting on a pow’r divine.

Here beneath these signs are hidden
Priceless things to sense forbidden;
Signs, not things are all we see:

Blood is poured and flesh is broken,
Yet in either wondrous token
Christ entire we know to be.

Whoso of this food partakes,
Does not rend the Lord nor breaks;
Christ is whole to all that taste:

Thousands are, as one, receivers,
One, as thousands of believers,
Eats of him who cannot waste.

Bad and good the feast are sharing,
Of what divers dooms preparing,
Endless death, or endless life.

Life to these, to those damnation,
See how like participation
Is with unlike issues rife.

When the sacrament is broken,
Doubt not, but believe ‘tis spoken,
That each sever’d outward token
doth the very whole contain.

Nought the precious gift divides,
Breaking but the sign betides
Jesus still the same abides,
still unbroken does remain.

 

Alleluia Jn 6:51

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven,
says the Lord;
whoever eats this bread will live forever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 14:12-16, 22-26

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
when they sacrificed the Passover lamb,
Jesus’ disciples said to him,
"Where do you want us to go
and prepare for you to eat the Passover?"
He sent two of his disciples and said to them,
"Go into the city and a man will meet you,
carrying a jar of water.
Follow him.
Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house,
'The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room
where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"'
Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready.
Make the preparations for us there."
The disciples then went off, entered the city,
and found it just as he had told them;
and they prepared the Passover.
While they were eating,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, gave it to them, and said,
"Take it; this is my body."
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them,
and they all drank from it.
He said to them,
"This is my blood of the covenant,
which will be shed for many.
Amen, I say to you,
I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine
until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
Then, after singing a hymn,
they went out to the Mount of Olives.

My Brothers and Sisters,

 Before Jesus suffered and died for us, He gave us all a most precious gift that would insure that He was with us always mentally, physically, and spiritually until he comes again in all of His glory. One of His last instructions was for all of us to receive His Body and Blood which is present in the Eucharist. From that moment on, for over 2000 years, we as Christians celebrate together with Jesus the receiving of Him into ourselves. It is through this act that we profess our love for Him and gain the spiritual food which strengthens us; enabling us to confront the challenges and obstacles we encounter throughout our lives. It is a special grace that was instituted and distributed through The Holy Mother Church through the guidance of the Apostles. The importance of it cannot be overstated. The consecration of the Eucharist is at the center of our worship, our faith, our lives, and all of creation. The way that we gather in community to worship remains the same because it is the way that Jesus wanted us to experience Him and live with Him. The Holy Mass gives us all the opportunity to gather together as a family and experience Jesus Christ together.

At the center of a Christian Life must be the community and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The community offers support, strength, and an opportunity to express ourselves in a setting that displays no judgment and criticism. We become one body and one mind in Jesus through living in a commune with one another. It becomes our security; shielding us from the outside world while keeping us transfixed in the moment. Here, the Love of God is manifested and shared. As Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name I am in your midst.” There are no outside influences or temptations. There is just us and Jesus Christ.

Just as there are specific times where we come together to share our common love of Jesus Christ, there are times when we are encouraged to withdraw and be alone with Jesus Christ. Nurtured by the Word and nurtured by the Eucharist, we are then sent forth back into world bearing the Light of Christ which illuminates from us constantly. It is at this time the importance of the Eucharist and the Community Gathering take on a whole new meaning for we have now left the comfort and security of our Christian Family. It is just us and Jesus Christ. We are walking with Him and experiencing the Creation of God with Him at our side. Prayer and the receiving of the Eucharist give us strength to confront the challenges that are before us and the troubles that we may encounter. But what troubles are there really when we are with Jesus and recognize that our lover is here   at all times? The light of His presence always overcomes the darkness and brings joy even in times of calamity.

Jesus Christ brought forth a New Covenant established through His death and the shedding of His own blood. We are sharers in this as participants. We eat His body and drink His blood in celebration of this and all that it offers. We are eternally bound to Jesus and become one with Him in a perpetual way. Nothing can break what has joined us to Him except for us. Voluntarily we enter it and voluntary we can leave. But why would we want to leave if we have everything to gain by remaining in it?  Jesus Christ is here for us. His Church is here for us. All of creation is here for us. Why would we even consider rejecting everything that was so tenderly prepared for us to enjoy and experience. To be joyful we just need to understand what we have already been given freely out of love.

Deacon Tom