Liturgical Readings for : Monday, 8th July, 2024
Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle 2
Optional memorial of St Kilian, bishop and martyr
FIRST READING
A reading from the Book of the prophet Hosea 2:16-18. 21-22
I will betroth you to myself for ever.
It is the Lord who speaks:
I am going to lure her and lead her out into the wilderness and speak to her heart.
There she will respond to me as she did when she was young, as she did
when she came out of the land of Egypt.
When that day comes – it is the Lord who speaks –
she will call me, ‘My husband‘, no longer will she call me, ‘My Baal’
I will betroth you to myself for ever, betroth you with integrity and justice, with tenderness and love; I will betroth you to myself with faithfulness, and you will come to know the Lord.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 144
Response The Lord is kind and full of compassion.
1. I will bless you day after day and praise your name for ever.
The Lord is great, highly to be praised, his greatness cannot be measured. Response
2. Age to age shall proclaim your works, shall declare your mighty deeds,
shall speak of your splendour and glory, tell the tale of your wonderful works. Response
3. They will speak of your terrible deeds, recount your greatness and might.
They will recall your abundant goodness; age to age shall ring out your justice. Response
4. The Lord is kind and full of compassion, slow to anger, abounding in love.
How good is the Lord to all, compassionate to all his creatures. Response
Gospel Acclamation Eph 1: 17. 18
Alleluia, Alleluia!
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our mind,
so that we can see what hope his call holds for us.
Alleluia!
or Jn 10: 27
Alleluia, Alleluia!
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord. I know my own and my own know me.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 9:18-26 Glory to you, O Lord
My daughter has just died, but come and her life will be saved.
While Jesus was speaking to them, up came one of the officials, who bowed low in front of him and said,
‘My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and her life will be saved.’
Jesus rose and, with his disciples, followed him.
Then from behind him came a woman, who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years, and she touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself,
‘If I can only touch his cloak I shall be well again.‘
Jesus turned round and saw her; and he said to her,
‘Courage, my daughter, your faith has restored you to health.‘
And from that moment the woman was well again.
When Jesus reached the official’s house and saw the flute-players,
with the crowd making a commotion he said,
‘Get out of here; the little girl is not dead, she is asleep.‘
And they laughed at him.
But when the people had been turned out he went inside and took the little girl by the hand; and she stood up.
And the news spread all round the countryside.
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Gospel Reflection Monday Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time Matthew 9:18-26
In today’s first reading, the Lord promises to lead Israel out into the wilderness. There he will speak to her heart and she will respond to him, as she once did. In the gospel reading, two members of God’s people respond to Jesus. One, a synagogue official, approaches Jesus in a public and confident way, as befits his status, and asked Jesus to lay hands on his daughter so that her life will be saved. The other, a woman with a flow of blood, approaches Jesus in a very furtive, hidden, way, in keeping with her non-status within the synagogue community. She only wanted to touch Jesus’ cloak, without making herself known to anybody. However, Jesus refused to treat her as if she were invisible. As the synagogue official spoke directly to Jesus, Jesus wanted to speak directly to the woman.
He saw no essential difference between the approach of the official and the woman. They were both in need and both had the faith to reach out to Jesus for help, and Jesus responded equally generously to them both. We all have our own way of approaching the Lord. We do so in a way that is unique to us and that reflects the circumstances of our lives. However, the Lord relates to all of us equally. In the words of the first reading, he wants to speak to the heart of each of us, drawing us to himself with tenderness and love. Regardless of how we are seen by others, the Lord looks upon us in a way that recognizes our dignity. In the words of today’s psalm, he is ‘kind and full of compassion’ towards all.
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd.
