FIRST READING
The Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground.
A reading from the Book of Genesis (Genesis 3:9-24)

The Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and   I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent beguiled me, and I ate.” The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all cattle, and above all wild animals; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days  of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” To the woman he said, “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth to you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them. Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever” — therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 90:2.3-4.5—6.12-13 (R. 1)
R/. O Lord, you have been our refuge,
from generation to generation.

Before the mountains were born,
or the earth or the world were brought forth,
you are God, from age to age. R.

You turn man back to dust,
and say, “Return, O children of men.”
To your eyes a thousand years
are like yesterday, come and gone,
or like a watch in the night. R.

R/. O Lord, you have been our refuge,
from generation to generation.

You sweep them away like a dream,
like grass which is fresh in the morning.
In the morning it sprouts and is fresh;
by evening it withers and fades. R.

Then teach us to number our days,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Turn back, O Lord! How long?
Show pity to your servants. R.

ALLELUIA Matthew 4:4b
Alleluia. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
“They ate, and were satisfied. ”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 8: 1-10)

In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him, and said to them, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days, and have nothing to eat; and if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come a long way.” And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these men with bread here in the desert?” And he asked them, “How many loaves have you?” They said, “Seven.” And he commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. And they had a few small fish; and having blessed them, he commanded that these also should be set before them. And they ate, and were satisfied; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away; and immediately he got into the boat with his disciples, and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Today’s Reflection
The people’ hunger for spiritual nourishment made them ignore their physical need. Jesus however, was not going to ignore their physical need. He cares for them both spiritually and physically. For three days they had been with Jesus and no longer had anything to eat. Considering the huge number of people to be fed, seven loaves is considered insufficient. But then, in the hands of Jesus, human insufficiency is replaced by divine sufficiency. In following Christ, we too are prone to be in circumstances of need. We must look to Jesus, no matter what the need is: he is Lord of Heaven and Earth and there is nothing beyond his power to do.

FIRST READING
“You will be like God, knowing good and evil. ”
A reading from the Book of Genesis (Genesis 3: 1-8)

The serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.”’ But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruits and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 32:1-2.5.6.7 (R. 1a)
R/. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven.

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is remitted.
Blessed the man to whom the Lord imputes no guilt,
In whose spirit is no guile. R.

To you I have acknowledge my sin;
My guilt I did not hide.
I said, “I will confess my transgression to the Lord.”
And you have forgiven the guilt of my sin. R.

R/. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven.

So let each faithful one pray to you
In the time of need.
The floods of water may reach high,
But such a one they shall not reach. R.

You are a hiding place for me;
You keep me safe from distress;
You surround me with cries of deliverance. R.

ALLELUIA Acts 16: 14b
Alleluia. Open our hearts, O Lord, that we may give heed to the words of your Son. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
“He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak. ”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 7:31-37)

At that time: Jesus returned from the region of Tyre, and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand upon him. And taking him aside from the multitude privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. And he charged them to tell no one; but the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well; he even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Today’s Reflection
The awesomeness of Jesus’ ministry continues to attract attention. He extends his hand of fellowship and help to people outside Jewish territory. He was in Tyre and Sidon where he delivered the syrophoenician woman’s daughter of her demonic possession. Now, he goes to the Decapolis, meaning ‘ten cities’ where he met a deaf and mute man. The people asked Jesus to ‘lay his hand upon him’, that is the traditional way of invoking the power of God. Jesus, nonetheless, took the man aside, “put his fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue with spittle, then, looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, ‘Be opened’. The dumb man’s ears were opened and his tongue was loosened and he began to speak clearly. Joyously, the people spread the news, even when Jesus forbade them. The fact is that it is difficult to withhold good news. And the lesson is that we cannot stereotype God. His ways are not our ways.

FIRST READING
The Lord God brought her to Adam, and they became one flesh.
A reading from the Book of Genesis (Genesis 2:18-25)

The Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” So out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its  name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; and the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 128: 1-2.3.4-5 (R. see 1a)
R/. Blessed are all who fear the Lord.

Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
and walk in his ways!
By the labour of your hands you shall eat.
You will be blessed and prosper. R.

Your wife like a fruitful vine
in the heart of your house;
your children like shoots of the olive
around your table. R.

Indeed thus shall be blessed
the man who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Sion.
May you see Jerusalem prosper
all the days of your life! R.

ALLELUIA
Alleluia. Receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
“The dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs. ”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 7:24-30)

At that time: Jesus arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house, and would not have any one know it; yet he could not be hidden. But immediately a woman, whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, heard of him,’ and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And he said to her, “Let the children first be fed, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” And he said to her, “For this saying you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” And she went home, and found the child lying in bed, and the demon gone.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Today’s Reflection
Jesus leaves the borders of Israel and enters the regions of Tyre and Sidon. (Presently these two cities are in Lebanon.) There Jesus encountered a woman identified in the scriptures as the Syrophoenician. In other words, the woman is of Syrian and Phoenician ancestry. The bottom-line is that the woman was not a Jewish woman; she was a foreigner. She must have heard of Jesus for her to run to him for assistance. Despite Jesus’ negative remark on her request, she did not give up, rather she accepted her status but persevered in her request. This show of humility and faith amazed Jesus such that he instantly granted her request. She went home in faith to find her demoniac daughter sober and delivered. The encounter with the Syrophoenician woman tells us that Jesus has no boundaries. Introduces him to all and sundry irrespective of creed.

FIRST READING
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden.
A reading from the Book of Genesis (Genesis 2:4b-9. 15- 17)

In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up — for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; but  a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground — then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became   a living soul. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM  Psalm  104:1 -2a.27-28.29bc-30 (R. 1a)
R/. Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, how great you are,
clothed in majesty and honour,
wrapped in light as with a robe! R.

All of these look to you
to give them their food in due season.
You give it, they gather it up;
you open Wide your hand, they are well filled. R.

R/. Bless the Lord, O my soul!

You take away their breath, they die,
returning to the dust from which they came.
You send forth your spirit, and they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth. R.

ALLELUIA   John 17: 17ba
Alleluia. Your word, O Lord, is truth; sanctify us in the truth. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
“The things which come out of a man are what defile him!”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark7: 14-23)

At that time: Jesus called the people to him again, and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him.” And when he had entered the house, and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a man from outside cannot defile him, since it enters, not his heart but his stomach, and so passes on?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, “What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and they defile a man.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Today’s Reflection
In a very cosmetic age like ours, when external beauty and appearance is overly admired and celebrated, Jesus reminds us that it is what we carry within that is of greater importance. Purity before God does not consist of washing hands but in having a clean heart – a heart emptied of evil. Thus, we must pay greater attention to the state of our inner being. The list Jesus offers spanning from grave vices such as fornication, theft and murder to indecency, pride and folly not only provides a good tool for examination of conscience but reminds us that the seemingly small sins are capable of serious consequences when left unattended. Look within, take nothing for granted!

FIRST READING
“Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness.”
A reading from the Book of Genesis (Genesis 1:20-2:4a)

And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the firmament of the heavens.” So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the cattle according to their kinds, and everything that creeps upon the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and he said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from till his work which he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation. These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.

The word of the Lord.

RESPON SORIAL PSALM Psalm 8:4-5.6-7a.7b-9 (R. 2ab)
R/. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name through all the earth!

When I see the heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you arranged,
what is man that you should keep him in mind,
the son of man that you care for him? R.

Yet you have made him little lower than the angels;
with glory and honour you crowned him,
gave him power over the works of your hands. R.

R/. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name through all the earth!

You put all things under his feet,
all of them, sheep and oxen,
yes, even the cattle of the fields,
birds of the air, and fish of the sea
that make their way through the waters. R.

ALLELUIA Psalm 119:36a.29b
Alleluia. Bend my heart, O God, to your decrees, grant me mercy by your law. Alleluia.

GOSPEL               
“You leave the commandment of God, and holdfast the tradition of men. ”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 7:1-13)

At that time: When the Pharisees gathered together to Jesus, with some of the scribes, who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they wash their hands, observing the tradition of the elders; and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they purify themselves ; there are many other traditions which they observe, the washing of cups and pots and vessels of bronze.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with hands defiled?” And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men. ’ You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men.” And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God, in order to keep your tradition! For Moses said, ‘Honour your father and your mother’; and ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die’; but you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is Corban’ (that is, given to God) — then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God through your tradition which you hand on. And many such things you do.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Today’s Reflection

In the account of creation that we read in Genesis, human beings are created last, as a sign of our dignity.  We are created in God’s image and likeness with intelligence and free will.  Male and female He created us. Both genders are fashioned in the image of God, not one greater than the other.  We reveal God’s image in us when we show compassion, fidelity and care for others.  On the other hand, when we practice violence, retaliation and brutality, we tarnish the image of God in us.  When we try to bring order out of disorder; when we seek to grow in our fidelity to God’s law; when we attempt to show our concern for those who are weak and ignorant, we brighten us and grow in the image and likeness of the God who has made us.

FIRST READING
Lord spoke, and it was so.
The beginning of the Book of Genesis (Genesis 1:1-19)

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. And God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” And God made the firmament and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. And it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. And God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, upon the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. And God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. And God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM  Psalm 104:1-2a.5-6. 10 and 12.24
R/. May the Lord rejoice in his works!

Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, how great you are,
clothed in majesty and honour,
wrapped in light as with a robe! R.

You set the earth on its foundation,
immovable from age to age.
You wrapped it with the depths like a cloak;
the waters stood higher than the mountains. R.

R/. May the Lord rejoice in his works!

You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
they flow in between the hills.
There the birds of heaven build their nests;
from the branches they sing their song. R.

How many are your works, O Lord!
In wisdom you have made them all.
The earth is full of your creatures.
Bless the Lord, O my soul. R.

ALLELUIA Matthew 4:23
Alleluia. Jesus was preaching the Gospel of the kingdom and healing every infirmity among the people. Alleluia.

GOSPEL  
“As many as touched it were made well. ”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 6:53-56)

At that time: When Jesus and his disciples had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. And when they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognised him, and ran about the whole neighbourhood and began to bring sick people on their pallets to any place where they heard he was. And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or country, they laid the sick in the market places, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched it were made well.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Today’s Reflection
The Apostles came back from their mission and briefed Jesus about all they taught and did. Jesus wanted them to go to a lonely place and have some rest as they were tired. But the crowd reached the destination before they could. This is typical of people. They are eager to make sacrifices and take risks to get whatever they dearly cherish. This they did and deprived the apostles of their rest. Jesus, who wanted to have privacy with them, rescinded his decision. He had compassion on the crowd and began to teach “for they were like sheep without a shepherd”. Sometimes we have to set aside our programmes and schedules to reach out to humanity or to God. For in giving we receive, and with the Lord by our side, we can rest assured of our strength being renewed. Don’t lose hope.

FIRST READING
“May the God of peace equip you with everything good.”
A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews (Hebrews 13:15-17.20-21)

Brethren: Through Jesus let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Obey your leaders and submit to them; for they are keeping watch over your souls, as men who will have to give account. Let them do this joyfully, and not sadly for that would be of no advantage to you. Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM  Psalm 23:1-3a. 3b-4.5.6 (R. 1)
R/.  The Lord is my shepherd;
       There is nothing I shall want.

The LORD is my shepherd;
There is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
Where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me;
He revives my soul. R.

He guides me along the right path,
For the sake of his name.
Though I should walk in the valley of the shadow of death,
No evil would I fear, for you are with me.
Your crook and your staff will give me comfort. R.

You have prepared a table before me
In the sight of my foes
My head you have anointed with oil;
My cup is overflowing. R.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s Own house shall I dwell
for length of days unending. R.

ALLELUIA John 10:27
Alleluia. My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; and I know them, and they follow me. Alleluia.

GOSPEL               
“They were like sheep without a shepherd.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 6:30-34)

At that time: The apostles returned to Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves. Now many saw them going, and knew them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns, and got there ahead of them. As he landed he saw a great throng, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

The Gospel of the Lord.
 

Today’s Reflection
The Apostles came back from their mission and briefed Jesus about all they taught and did. Jesus wanted them to go to a lonely place and have some rest as they were tired. But the crowd reached the destination before they could. This is typical of people. They are eager to make sacrifices and take risks to get whatever they dearly cherish. This they did and deprived the apostles of their rest. Jesus, who wanted to have privacy with them, rescinded his decision. He had compassion on the crowd and began to teach “for they were like sheep without a shepherd”. Sometimes we have to set aside our programmes and schedules to reach out to humanity or to God. For in giving we receive, and with the Lord by our side, we can rest assured of our strength being renewed.Don’t lose hope.

FIRST READING
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.”
A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews (Hebrews 13: 1-8)

Brethren: Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them; and those who are ill-treated, since you also are in the body.  Let marriage be held in honour among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for God will judge the immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, “I will never fail you nor forsake you.” Hence we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid; what can man do to me?” Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 27: 1.3.5.8c-9abc (R. 1a)
R/. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear? The Lord is the
stronghold of my life; whom should I dread? R.

Though an army encamp against me,
my heart would not fear.
Though war break out against me,
even then would I trust. R.

R/. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

For there he keeps me safe in his shelter
in the day of evil. He hides me under
cover of his tent; he sets me high upon a rock. R.

It is your face, O Lord, that I seek;
hide not your face from me.
Dismiss not your servant in anger;
you have been my help. R

ALLELUIA Luke 8:15
Alleluia. Blessed are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
“John, whom I beheaded, has been raised. ”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 6 : 14-29)

At that time: King Herod heard of Jesus; for his name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; that is why these powers are at work in him.” But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” But when Herod heard of it he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” For Herod had sent and seized John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; because he had married her. For John said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he was much perplexed; and yet he heard him gladly. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and the leading men of Galilee. For when Herodias’ daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will grant it.” And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” And she went out, and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” And she came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” And the king was exceedingly sorry; but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. And immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard and gave orders to bring his head in. He went and beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Today’s Reflection:

The evil of wrongdoings do not pass with their execution. Their consequences, guilt and sorrow are capable of destroying the perpetuator of the action. Herod, having ordered the execution of John due to political arrogance and blind commitment to an oath, was continually haunted by his guilt. Thus, the growing fame of Jesus was seen by him as the return from the dead of John whose head he had cut off. A lot of people are in bondage with their past sins, and are constantly perturbed by guilt. We need not remain entrapped by past iniquity when the cleansing blood of Christ is present in the sacrament of Reconciliation. God took away David’s sin and gave him a glorious throne. In Christ, you are more than the sin of your past!