Mass Readings for : Monday, 13th November, 2023

Liturgical Readings for : Monday, 13th November, 2023

Monday of the Thirty -Second Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1

FIRST READING

A reading from the book of Wisdom 1:1-7
Wisdom is a spirit, a friend to man. The Spirit of the Lord, indeed, fills the whole world.

Love virtue, you who are judges on earth, let honesty prompt your thinking about the Lord,
seek him in simplicity of heart; since he is to be found by those who do not put him to the test,
he shows himself to those who do not distrust him.
But selfish intentions divorce from God; and Omnipotence, put to the test, confounds the foolish.
No, Wisdom will never make its way into a crafty soul nor stay in a body that is in debt to sin; the holy spirit of instruction shuns deceit, it stands aloof from reckless purposes,
is taken aback when iniquity appears.

Wisdom is a spirit, a friend to man,
though she will not pardon the words of a blasphemer,
since God sees into the innermost parts of him, truly observes his heart, and listens to his tongue.
The Spirit of the Lord, indeed, fills the whole world, and that which holds all things together knows every word that is said.

The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 138
Response Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.

1. O Lord, you search me and you know me, you know my resting and my rising,
you discern my purpose from afar. You mark hen I walk or lie don,
all my ways lie open to you. Response

2. Before ever a word is on my tongue you know it, O Lord, through and through.
Behind and before you besiege me, your hand ever laid upon me.
Too wonderful for me, this knowledge, too high, beyond my reach. Response

3. O where can I go from your spirit, or here can I flee from your face?
If I climb the heavens, you are there. If I lie in the grave, you are there. Response

4. If I take the wings of the dawn and dell at the sea’s furthest end,
even there your hand would lead me, your right hand would hold me fast. Response

Gospel Acclamation Phil 2: 15-16
Alleluia, alleluia!
You will shine in the world like bright stars because you are offering it the word of life.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL

The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 17:1-6 Glory to you, O Lord.
If your brother comes back to you seven times a day and says, “I am sorry”, you must forgive him.

Jesus said to his disciples,
‘Obstacles are sure to come, but alas for the one who provides them! It would be better for him to be thrown into the Sea with a millstone put round his neck than that he should lead astray a single one of these little ones. Watch yourselves!

‘If your brother does something wrong, reprove him and, if he is sorry, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times a day and seven times comes back to you and says, “I am sorry”, you must forgive him.’

The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith’.
The Lord replied
‘Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree,
“Be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it would obey you.”

The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
___________________________

Gospel Reflection Monday Thirty Second Week in Ordinary Time Luke 17:1-6

You may have had the experience of stumbling over a slightly raised footpath or flagstone and, perhaps, even falling down. I know I have. We are walking along and, suddenly, our feet hits an unexpected obstacle and we end up on the ground or almost on the ground. In today’s gospel reading, Jesus speaks about people who can be obstacles to the faith journey of others. They undermine and weaken the faith of others, causing them to stumble on their journey towards the Lord, leading them astray from the Lord. Jesus is extremely critical of such people, declaring it would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone around their neck. It is an image, not to be taken literally, but by means of it Jesus makes his point forcibly. Jesus looks to us to lead each other to him, rather than lead each other away from him. We can help to deepen each other’s faith or we can be instrumental in weakening one another’s faith. In the realm of faith, our impact on each other is rarely neutral.

The more we grow in faith, the more we will be a support to the faith life of others. That is why the prayer of the disciples in today’s gospel reading is an appropriate one for us all, ‘Increase our faith’. The response of Jesus to this prayer suggests that we should never underestimate the faith we have. Even if it is only the size of a mustard seed, that is enough of an opening for the Lord to work powerfully through us. The very prayer, ‘Increase our faith’, is itself an expression of deep faith, the kind of faith that will be a support to others as they strive to respond to the Lord’s call in their lives.