14th Sunday in Ordinary
Time
Psalter: Week 2
Saint Maelruain
Green
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 47: 10-11
Your merciful love, O God, we have received in the midst of your temple. Your praise, O God, like your name, reaches the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with saving justice.
Collect
O God, who in the abasement of your Son have raised up a fallen world, fill your faithful with holy joy, for on those you have rescued from slavery to sin you bestow eternal gladness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Ezekiel 2:2-5
The spirit came into me and made me stand up, and I heard the Lord speaking to me. He said, ‘Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to the rebels who have turned against me. Till now they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me. The sons are defiant and obstinate; I am sending you to them, to say, “The Lord says this.” Whether they listen or not, this set of rebels shall know there is a prophet among them.’
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
122(123)
R/ Our eyes are on the Lord till he shows us his mercy.
To you have I lifted up my eyes, you who dwell in the heavens; my eyes, like the eyes of slaves on the hand of their lords.
Like the eyes of a servant on the hand of her mistress, so our eyes are on the Lord our God till he show us his mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy. We are filled with contempt. Indeed all too full is our soul with the scorn of the rich, with the proud man’s disdain.
Second reading: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
In view of the extraordinary nature of these revelations, to stop me from getting too proud I was given a thorn in the flesh, an angel of Satan to beat me and stop me from getting too proud! About this thing, I have pleaded with the Lord three times for it to leave me, but he has said, ‘My grace is enough for you: my power is at its best in weakness.’ So I shall be very happy to make my weaknesses my special boast so that the power of Christ may stay over me, and that is why I am quite content with my weaknesses, and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and the agonies I go through for Christ’s sake. For it is when I am weak that I am strong.
Gospel Acclamation: Jn1:14,12
Alleluia, alleluia! The Word was made flesh and lived among us:to all who did accept him he gave power to become children of God. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 6:1-6
Jesus went to his home town and his disciples accompanied him. With the coming of the sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue and most of them were astonished when they heard him. They said, ‘Where did the man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been granted him, and these miracles that are worked through him? This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joset and Jude and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here with us?’ And they would not accept him. And Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country, among his own relations and in his own house’; and he could work no miracle there, though he cured a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.
Prayer over the Offerings
May this oblation dedicated to your name purify us, O Lord, and day by day bring our conduct closer to the life of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 33: 9
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed the man who seeks refuge in him.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, O Lord, that, having been replenished by such great gifts, we may gain the prize of salvation and never cease to praise you. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
There is a saying: «don’t judge a book by its appearance». These words of wisdom warn us to avoid making decisions based on history, habits or certain customs. Wisely, one should do a thorough investigation and follow-up before making a judgment that something is suitable or not! Either someone is useful or not! One of the mistakes that people often make is making hasty decisions ahead of time. Many people thus fail to receive the state of grace or blessing from those who bring them perhaps by discussing their personality, their nature, their economic ability or the way they received them in the respective society. That’s when you will hear words like this: «where does this one come from»! Who is he to tell us that» etc. Instead of checking the truth and productivity of what is brought to us, we discuss and judge the messenger who brings us the news. Let’s not take for granted the opportunity to be saved by the people around us so as to avoid regrets.