Liturgical Readings for : Wednesday, 24th July, 2024
Wednesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle 2
Optional memorials of Ss Sharbel Makhluf, priest
and St Declan, bishop
FIRST READING
A reading from the book of the Prophet Jeremiah 1:1, 4-10
I have appointed you as prophet to the nations.
The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of a priestly family living at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.
The word of the Lord was addressed to me, saying,
‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
before you came to birth I consecrated you;
I have appointed you as prophet to the nations.‘
I said, ‘Ah, Lord ; look, I do not know how to speak: I am a child!’
But the Lord replied,
‘Do not say, “I am a child”
Go now to those to whom I send you and say whatever I command you.
Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to protect you –
it is the Lord who speaks!‘
Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me:
There! I am putting my words into your mouth.
Look, today I am setting you over nations and over kingdoms,
to tear up and to knock down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.’
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 70
Response My lips will tell of your justice, O Lord
1. In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, free me: pay heed to me and save me. Response
2. Be a rock where I can take refuge, a mighty stronghold to save me;
for you are my rock, my stronghold. Free me from the hand of the wicked. Response
3. It is you, O Lord, who are my hope, my trust, O Lord, since my youth.
On you I have leaned from my birth,
from my mother’s womb you have been my help. Response
4. My lips will tell of your justice and day by day of your help.
O God, you have taught me from my youth and I proclaim your wonders still. Response
Gospel Acclamation 1 Jn 2: 5
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Bend my heart to your will, O Lord, and teach me your laws.
Alleluia!
Or Ps 94: 8
Alleluia, Alleluia!
The seed is the word of God, Christ the sower;
whoever finds the seed will remain for ever.
Alleluia
GOSPEL:
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew 13:1-9 Glory to you, O Lord
Some seed produced their crop a hundredfold.
Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside, but such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there.
The people all stood on the beach, and he told them many things in parables.
He said,
‘Imagine a sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away.
Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Listen, anyone who has ears!’
The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Reflection Wednesday, Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Matthew 13:1–9
Today’s first reading is one of the great call stories in the Jewish Scriptures. When Jeremiah hears the call to be the Lord’s prophet to the nations, he becomes aware of his own inadequacy, the many obstacles in his life that could hinder his response to the Lord’s call, especially his youth. However, the Lord assures him that if his heart is open to the call, then he will be with Jeremiah to protect him, even placing his words in Jeremiah’s mouth.
In the parable in today’s gospel reading, there are many obstacles to the growth of the seed that the sower sows with such abandon. Yet, in spite of those obstacles, some of the seed falls on soil that is receptive and the harvest from that soil is beyond all reasonable expectations, even a hundred fold. The Lord continues to scatter the seed of his word today. He does so with abandon, so that it reaches as many people as possible. There will be great obstacles in the lives of many that will prevent the word from taking root in their hearts and bearing fruit in their lives. Yet, if the Lord finds some hearts that are receptive to his word, as the heart of Jeremiah was, he will be able to work through them for the good of others in ways that go beyond all expectations.
In the words of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, his ‘power at work within us’ will be able ‘to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine (Eph 3:20). We need never get discouraged by the failure of so many to hear the word, including our own failure to hear and receive it fully, because of all that the Lord can do through those who do hear his word and take it to their hearts.
The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd.
