Liturgical Readings for : Sunday, 1st September, 2024
Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B
World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation
God’s commandments are given as a test or measure of our love for him. They lead us to show love for others and our world.
FIRST READING
A reading from the Book of the Deuteronomy 4:1-2.6-8
Add nothing to what I command you, keep the commandments of the Lord.
Moses said to the people:
‘Now, Israel, take notice of the laws and customs that I teach you today, and observe them, that you may have life and may enter and take possession of the land that the Lord the God of your fathers is giving you. You must add nothing to what I command you, and take nothing from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God just as I lay them down for you.
Keep them, observe them, and they will demonstrate to the peoples your wisdom and understanding. When they come to know of all these laws they will exclaim, “No other people is as wise and prudent as this great nation.” And indeed, what great nation is there that has its gods so near as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call to him? And what great nation is there that has laws and customs to match this whole Law that I put before you today?’
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 14:2-5.
Response The just will live in the presence of the Lord.
1. Lord, who shall dwell on your holy mountain? He who walks without fault;
he who acts with justice and speaks the truth from his heart. Response
2. He who does no wrong to his brother, who casts no slur on his-neighbour,
who holds the godless in disdain, but honours those who fear the Lord. Response
3. He who keeps his pledge, come what may; who takes no interest on a loan
and accepts no bribes against the innocent. Such a man will stand firm for ever. Response
SECOND READING
A reading from the letter of St James 1:17-18.21-22.27
You must do what the word tells you.
It is all that is good, everything that is perfect, which is given us from above; it comes down from the Father of all light; with him there is no such thing as alteration, no shadow of a change. By his own choice he made us his children by the message of the truth so that we should be a sort of first-fruits of all that he had created.
Accept and submit to the word which has been planted in you and can save your souls. But you must do what the word tells you, and not just listen to it and deceive yourselves.
Pure unspoilt religion, in the eyes of God our Father is this: coming to the help of orphans and widows when they need it, and keeping oneself uncontaminated by the world.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
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!
or James 1:18
Alleluia, alleluia!
By his own choice he made us his children by the message of the truth
so that we should be a sort of first-fruits of all that he had created.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 7:1-8. 14-15.21-23 Glory to you, O Lord.
You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions.
The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered round Jesus, and they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. For the Pharisees, and the Jews in general, follow the tradition of the elders and never eat without washing their arms as far as the elbow; and on returning from the market place they never eat without first sprinkling themselves. There are also many other observances which have been handed down to them concerning the washing of cups and pots and bronze dishes.
So these Pharisees and scribes asked him,
‘Why do your disciples not respect the tradition of the elders
but eat their food with unclean hands?’
He answered,
‘It was of you hypocrites that Isaiah so rightly prophesied in this passage of scripture:
This people honours me only with lip-service, while their hearts are far from me. The worship they offer me is worthless, the doctrines they teach are only human regulations.
You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions.
He called the people to him again and said,
‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand.
Nothing that goes into a man from outside can make him unclean;
it is the things that come out of a man that make him unclean.
For it is from within, from men’s hearts, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly.
All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean.”
The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Taken from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, published and copyright 1966 by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd.
