Liturgical Readings for : Wednesday, 22nd November, 2023
Wednesday of the Thirty-Third week in Ordinary Time, Year 1
Optional memorial of St Cecilia, virgin, martyr
FIRST READING
A reading from the second book of Maccabees 7:1. 20-31
The creator of the world will give you back both breath and life.
There were also seven brothers who were arrested with their mother. The king tried to force them to taste pig’s flesh, which the Law forbids, by torturing them with whips and scourges.
The mother was especially admirable and worthy of honourable remembrance, for she watched the death of seven sons in the course of a single day, and endured it resolutely because of her hopes in the Lord. Indeed she encouraged each of them in the language of their ancestors; filled with noble conviction, she reinforced her womanly argument with manly courage, saying to them,
‘I do not know how you appeared in my womb; it was not I who endowed you with breath and life, I had not the shaping of your every part. It is the creator of the world, ordaining the process of man’s birth and presiding over the origin of all things, who in his mercy will most surely give you back both breath and life, seeing that you now despise your own existence for the sake of his laws.’
Antiochus thought he was being ridiculed, suspecting insult in the tone of her voice, and as the youngest was still alive he appealed to him not with mere words but with promises on oath to make him both rich and happy if he would abandon the traditions of his ancestors; he would make him his friend and entrust him with public office. The young man took no notice at all, and so the king then appealed to the mother, urging her to advise the youth to save his life. After a great deal of urging on his part she agreed to try persuasion on her son. Bending over him, she fooled the cruel tyrant with these words, uttered in the language of their ancestors,
‘My son, have pity on me; I carried you nine months in my womb and suckled you three years, fed you and reared you to the age you are now (and cherished you). I implore you, my child, observe heaven and earth, consider all that is in them, and acknowledge that God made them out of what did not exist, and that mankind comes into being in the same way. Do not fear this executioner, but prove yourself worthy of your brothers, and make death welcome, so that in the day of mercy I may receive you back in your brothers’ company.’
She had scarcely ended when the young man said,
‘What are you all waiting for? I will not comply with the king’s ordinance; I obey the ordinance of the Law given to our ancestors through Moses.
As for you, sir, who have contrived every kind of evil against the Hebrews, you will certainly not escape the hands of God.’
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 16
Response I shall be filled, when I wake, with the sight of your glory, O Lord.
I. Lord, hear a cause that is just, pay heed to my cry.
Turn your ear to my prayer: no deceit is on my lips. Response
2. I kept my feet firmly in your paths; there was no faltering in my steps.
I am here and I call, you will hear me, O God. Turn your ear to me; hear my words. Response
3. Guard me as the apple of your eye. Hide me in the shadow of your wings.
As for me, in my justice I shall see your face
and be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory. Response
Gospel Acclamation 1 Jn 2: 5
Alleluia, alleluia!
When anyone obeys what Christ has said God’s love comes to perfection in him.
Alleluia!
Or Jn 15: 16
Alleluia, alleluia!
I chose you from the world to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 19:11-28
Why did you not put my money in the bank?
While the people were listening to this Jesus went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and they imagined that the kingdom of God was going to show itself then and there. Accordingly he said,
‘A man of noble birth went to a distant country to be appointed king and afterwards return. He summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds. “Do business with these” he told them “until I get back.” But his compatriots detested him and sent a delegation to follow him with this message, “We do not want this man to be our king.”
‘Now on his return, having received his appointment as king, he sent for those servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what profit each had made. The first came in and said, “Sir, your one pound has brought in ten.” Well done, my good servant!” he replied “Since you have proved yourself faithful in a very small thing, you shall have the government of ten cities.”. Then came the second and said, “Sir, your one pound has made five”. To this one also he said, “And you shall be in charge of five cities.”
Next came the other and said, “Sir, here is your pound. I put it away safely in a piece of linen because I was afraid of you; for you are an exacting man: you pick up what you have not put down and reap what you have not sown.” “You wicked servant!” he said “Out of your own mouth I condemn you. So you knew I was an exacting man, picking up what I have not put down and reaping what I have not sown? Then why did you not put my money in the bank? On my return I could have drawn it out with interest.”
And he said to those standing by, “Take the pound from him and give it to the man who has ten pounds.”
And they said to him, “But, sir, he has ten pounds . . .”
“I tell you, to everyone who has will be given more; but from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
‘ “But as for my enemies who did not want me for their king, bring them here and execute them in my presence.” ‘
When he had said this he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Gospel Reflection Wednesday, Thirty Third Week in Ordinary Time Luke 19:11-28
There are ten servants mentioned in today’s parable. What distinguishes one of the servants from the other nine is fear of the man of noble birth who went to a far country and returned as king. This noble ruler who became king is a clear reference to Jesus. The ruler entrusts each of his ten servants with significant resources. He gifts each of the ten with the same financial resource; at no point in the story does he ask for his money back. He just wanted his servants to make good use of what he has so generously entrusted to them. Fear paralyzed one of the servants who did nothing with the gift he had been given. Although the ruler trusted him, he did not trust the ruler. He thought it was safer to do nothing than to do something with the gift and fail. This is not the kind of relationship that the Lord wants us to have with him.
The Lord has placed rich resources into our possession, the gospel, the Holy Spirit, the saints, the community of believers. He wants us to draw on those rich resources and to share them courageously with others. He calls on us to give as we have received, without allowing ourselves to be held back by fear of failure. As Mother Teresa once said, the Lord does not ask us to be successful but to be faithful. He wants us to be faithful servants who live generously and courageously out of the fullness that he has entrusted to us. If we are faithful in that way, the Lord will work powerfully through us, including through our failures.
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd.
