Liturgical Readings for : Thursday, 4th July, 2024
Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle 2
Optional memorial of St Elizabeth of Portugal
FIRST READING
A reading from the book of the Prophet Amos 7:10-17.
Go, prophesy to my people.
Amaziah the priest of Bethel then sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel as follows.
‘Amos is plotting against you in the heart of the House of Israel; the country can no longer tolerate what he keeps saying. For this is what he says, “Jeroboam is going to die by the sword, and Israel go into exile far from its country. “‘
To Amos, Amaziah said,
‘Go away, seer; get back to the land of Judah; earn your bread there, do your prophesying there.
We want no more prophesying in Bethel; this is the royal sanctuary, the national temple.’
Amos replied to Amaziah
‘I was no prophet, neither did I belong to any of the brotherhoods of prophets,’
‘I was a shepherd, and looked after sycamores: but it was the Lord who took me from herding the flock,
and the Lord who said,
“Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”
So listen to the word of the Lord.
You say: “Do not prophesy against Israel, utter
no oracles against the House of Isaac.”
‘Very well, this is what the Lord says,
“Your wife will be forced to go on the streets, your sons and daughters will fall by the sword,
your land be parcelled out by measuring line, and you yourself die on unclean soil
and Israel will go into exile far distant from its own land.” ‘
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God
Responsorial Psalm Ps 18
Response The decrees of the Lord are truth and all of them just.
1. The law of the Lord is perfect, it revives the soul.
The rule of the Lord is to be trusted, it gives wisdom to the simple. Response
2. The precepts of the Lord are right; they gladden the heart.
The command of the Lord is clear, it gives light to the eyes. Response
3. The fear of the Lord is holy, abiding for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are truth and all of them just. Response
4. They are more to be desired than gold, than the purest of gold
and sweeter are they than honey, than honey from the comb. Response
Gospel Acclamation Mt 11: 25
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to mere children .
Alleluia!
Or 2 Cor 5: 19
Alleluia, Alleluia!
God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself,
and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 9:1-8 Glory to you, O Lord
They praised God for giving such power to men.
Jesus got back in the boat, crossed the water and came to his own town. Then some people appeared, bringing him a paralytic stretched out on a bed. Seeing their faith,
Jesus said to the paralytic,
‘Courage, my child, your sins are forgiven.’
And at this some scribes said to themselves,
‘This man is blaspheming.‘
Knowing what was in their minds Jesus said,
‘Why do you have such wicked thoughts in your hearts? Now, which of these is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven”, or to say, “Get up and walk”? But to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ – he said to the paralytic –
‘get up, and pick up your bed and go off home.‘ And the man got up and went home.
A feeling of awe came over the crowd when they saw this, and they praised God for giving such power to men.
The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Gospel Reflection Thursday Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Matthew 9:1-8
When people bring a paralytic on a stretcher to Jesus, what they are hoping for is that Jesus would heal the man’s paralysis. However, Jesus immediately goes to a deeper issue, assuring the paralytic that his sins are forgiven. There is no suggestion in the text that his physical paralysis was an outward expression of his sin. He is no greater a sinner than anyone else. All need assurance that God’s forgiveness is abundantly available through Jesus, whose very name, according to Matthew, means
‘he will save his people from their sins’ (Mt 1:21) and who, at the Last Supper, declares that ‘this (cup of wine) is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins’ (Mt 26:28). Some scribes declare Jesus to be blaspheming for making a declaration that pertains to God alone. However, Matthew has already referred to Jesus as Emmanuel, ‘God is with us’ (Mt 1:23). God’s power of forgiveness is present on earth through Jesus.
Jesus then heals the man of his paralysis to demonstrate this deeper truth. We may not all be physically paralyzed but we are all equally in need of God’s forgiveness. The gospel reading assures us that God’s forgiveness is personally present to each one of us in a very complete way through Jesus, now risen Lord. Elsewhere in Matthew’s gospel we hear that this free gift of God’s abundant mercy requires us to forgive others as we have been forgiven (Mt 18:21-35).
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd.
