25th Sunday of the Year (b)
This Week’s Liturgy Calendar.
Ordinary Season of the Year. (a)
Weekdays – Year 1
Sunday 20th September: 25th Sunday of the Year. (B)
The first reading is from the Book of Wisdom. The people who do not believe in God plot the downfall of those good people who do try to live by God’s law. They want to see the death of good and virtuous people.
In the second reading, from the Letter of St. James, he recognises that whenever there is external conflict, turmoil or division, the reason for it can be found in peoples’ hearts, in each individual’s heart.
In the Gospel from St. Mark, the disciples shows themselves to be very human as they argue about who is the greatest amongst themselves. Jesus uses the opportunity to teach them the way of true discipleship, using a small child as his visual aid.
Monday 21st September: Feast of St. Matthew.
Matthew was a tax collector, one of the most despised jobs in Israel. The Gospel today tells us of his call to follow Christ. He acknowledged is sinfulness and repented. He is the author of the first of the Gospels that was written in Aramaic. Later accounts state that Matthew evangelised Persia and probably Ethiopia. He was martyred there and his remains were eventually transferred to Salerno in the tenth century.
Tuesday 22nd September: Tuesday of the 25th week of the year.
Over the new three weeks on the Ordinary weekdays we read from various authors who wrote after the end of the Babylonian Exile, beginning with Ezra. The first group returned home in 537 b.c. but the rebuilding of the Temple was to take many years. Eventually the King allowed money from the state to be used to help and a great celebration took place to mark its completion.
The relatives of Jesus come looking for him but Jesus uses the opportunity to highlight that anyone who tries to follow him is his brother and sister.
Wednesday 23rd September: Memorial of St. Pius of Peitrelcina.
Francesco Forgione, the future Padre Pio, was born on 25th May 1887 in Pietrelcina, Southern Italy. At the age of fifteen he entered the Capuchin novitiate at Morcone and was ordained at the age of 23. Due to his frail health, he lived outwith the monastic community, always wearing the distinctive habit. He was sent to San Giovanni Rotondo for a short stay. In fact he spent the rest of his life there. In September 1918, the signs of the stigmata appeared after he had celebrated Mass. These wounds bled continually for fifty years and caused him acute physical pain. Despite this, he made himself available to thousands of people who came to him seeking advice and confession. He died on 23rd September 1968 and was canonised by Pope John Paul on 16th June 2002.
Thursday 24th September: Thursday of the 25th week of the year.
Earlier in the week we heard about the rebuilding of the Temple. Haggai, the author of today’s passage, encouraged the people to work as hard as possible to complete the building of the Temple and not to be always finding excuses to sit back and do nothing.
Too many people are getting worried about Jeus and what he is saying and doing. Even Herod falls in to that category.
Friday 25th September: Friday of 25th week of the year.
The builders of the temple are beginning to lose heaert as they realise the size of the task hey are undertaking. The feel they will never be able to complete the temple. Haggai has to encourage them and does this by reminding them that they are doing God’s work and that God is with them so they cannot fail.
Now the apostles are given their chance to say who they think Jesus is. They go through various key people in their knowledge but it is down to Peter to make the great act of faith – ‘You are the Christ.’
Saturday 26th September. Saturday of 25th week of the year.
Zechariah was the second prophet for the Israelites after the Exile. We hear him telling the Jews not to build walls around Jerusalem yet as its population was going to increase.
Yesterday we heard the Apostles, through Peter, make their act of faith in Jesus. Now we hear how they find it difficult to accept that the Messiah is going to suffer and die before rising from the dead.
Always remember there are two types of people in this world.
Those who come into a room and say, “Well, here I am!” and those who come in and say,
“Ah, there you are!”
