Liturgical Readings for : Sunday, 25th August, 2024
Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B
FIRST READING
A reading from the Book of Joshua 24:1-2.15-18
We will serve the Lord, for he is our God.
Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel together at Shechem; then he called the elders, leaders, judges and scribes of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.
Then Joshua said to all the people:
‘If you will not serve the Lord, choose today whom you wish to serve, whether the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are now living. As for me and my House, we will serve the Lord.’
The people answered,
‘We have no intention of deserting the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors out of the land of Egypt, the house of slavery, who worked those great wonders before our eyes and preserved us all along the way we travelled and among all the peoples through whom we journeyed. We too will serve the Lord, for he is our God.’
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 33:2-3. 16-23
Response Taste and see that the Lord is good.
1. I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise always on my lips;
in the Lord my soul shall make its boast. The humble shall hear and be glad. Response
2. The Lord turns his face against the wicked to destroy their remembrance from the earth.
The Lord turns his eyes to the just and his ears to their appeal. Response
3. They call and the Lord hears and rescues them in all their distress.
The Lord is close to the broken-hearted; those whose spirit is crushed he will save. Response
4. Many are the trials of the just man but from them all the Lord will rescue him.
He will keep guard over all his bones, not one of his bones shall be broken. Response Response
5. Evil brings death to the wicked; those who hate the good are doomed.
The Lord ransoms the souls of his servants. Those who hide in him shall not be condemned. Response
SECOND READING
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Ephesians 5:21-32
This mystery has many implications for Christ and the Church.
Give way to one another in obedience to Christ. Wives should regard their husbands as they regard the Lord, since as Christ is head of the Church and saves the whole body, so is a husband the head of his wife; and as the Church submits to Christ, so should wives to their husbands, in everything.
Husbands should love their wives just as Christ loved the Church and sacrificed himself for her to make her holy. He made her clean by washing her in water with a form of words, so that when he took her to himself she would be glorious, with no speck or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and faultless.
In the same way, husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies; for a man to love his wife is for him to love himself. A man never hates his own body, but he feeds it and looks after it; and that is the way Christ treats the Church, because it is his body – and we are its living parts. For this reason, a man must leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one body.
This mystery has many implications; but I am saying it applies to Christ and the Church.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
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Shorter form of SECOND READING
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Ephesians 5:25-32
This mystery has many implications for Christ and the Church.
Husbands should love their wives just as Christ loved the Church and sacrificed himself for her to make her holy. He made her clean by washing her in water with a form of words, so that when he took her to himself she would be glorious, with no speck or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and faultless.
In the same way, husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies; for a man to love his wife is for him to love himself. A man never hates his own body, but he feeds it and looks after it; and that is the way Christ treats the Church, because it is his body – and we are its living parts. For this reason, a man must leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one body.
This mystery has many implications; but I am saying it applies to Christ and the Church.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
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Gospel Acclamation Jn 6:63. 68
Alleluia, alleluia!
Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life: you have the message of etenal life.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 6:60-69 Glory to you, O Lord.
Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life.
After hearing his doctrine many of the followers of Jesus said,
‘This is intolerable language. How could anyone accept it?’
Jesus was aware that his followers were complaining about it and said, ‘
Does this upset you? What if you should see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before?
‘It is the Spirit that gives life, The flesh has nothing to offer.
The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.
‘But there are some of you who do not believe.’
For Jesus knew from the outset those who did not believe, and who it was that would betray him.
He went on, ‘This is why I told you that no one could come to me unless the Father allows him.‘
After this, many of his disciples left him and stopped going with him.
Then Jesus said to the Twelve,
‘What about you, do you want to go away too?’
Simon Peter answered, ‘Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of God.’
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ
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The scripture readings are taken from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, published and copyright 1966 by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd
