September 26
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Give a Mass Offering
Mass Intention
Sat. 4:00 PM – Jon Dziedzic / Michael Read
Sun. 7:30 AM – Len Smith / Leigh Marquis
Sun. 10:30 AM – Gretchen Lane / Care for Creation Circle
Sun. 5:00 PM – Anne Doherty / D’Mello Family
Prayer for Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
Readings
First Reading
Numbers 11:25-29
The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses. Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses, the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders; and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied.
Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad, were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp. They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tent; yet the spirit came to rest on them also, and they prophesied in the camp. So, when a young man quickly told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp, " Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth had been Moses’ aide, said, "Moses, my lord, stop them." But Moses answered him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets! Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!"
Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 19:8, 10, 12-13, 14
R. (9a) The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
the decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
Though your servant is careful of them,
very diligent in keeping them,
Yet who can detect failings?
Cleanse me from my unknown faults!
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
From wanton sin especially, restrain your servant;
let it not rule over me.
Then shall I be blameless and innocent
of serious sin.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
Second Reading
James 5:1-6
Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries. Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire. You have stored up treasure for the last days. Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure; you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter. You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous one; he offers you no resistance.
Gospel Acclamation
Cf. Jn 17:17b, 17a
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your word, O Lord, is truth;
consecrate us in the truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
At that time, John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us." Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"
“The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.”
Reflection
Sometimes in our world, people can get into an “us versus them” mentality. They can view everyone who is like them as the good guys and everyone who is different in some way as the bad guys. Protestants can look at Catholics as the bad guys and vice versa. The poor might look at the rich as the enemy and the rich may look at the poor with distrust. These divisions are not part of God’s plan. In fact, they are exactly the opposite of what God wants our lives to be like. He wants unity, not division for us. He wants his people to be one “as Jesus and the Father are one.”
Our readings this Sunday examine this “us vs. them” idea in terms of serving the Lord. In the Book of Numbers, two men named Eldad and Medad were part of the group of seventy elders who would receive the spirit of God, but they were in a separate place when the spirit came upon them. They began to prophesy as God had intended, but because they were separated, people rejected them and complained to Moses about their behavior. Moses gets it right when he tells them that it would be wonderful if everyone were a prophet of God.
A similar scene takes place in the gospel where John, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, tells him about some men who were driving out demons in His name even though they were not part of his followers. Jesus’ response echoes that of Moses; “Whoever is not against us is for us.” Thus, it is important for all of us to be “for” each other. Only then can we achieve the unity that God wants for us.
Peace,
Deacon Dare
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