Mass Readings for : Thursday, 19th September, 2024

Liturgical Readings for : Thursday, 19th September, 2024

Thursday of the 24th week in Ordinary Time, Year 2

Optional memorial of St Januarius, bishop and martyr

FIRST READING

A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians 15:1-11
I preached the gospel to you – believing anything else will not lead to anything.

Brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established; because the gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you – believing anything else will not lead to anything.

Well then, in the first place, I taught you what I had been taught myself, namely that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; and that he was raised to life on the third day, in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared first to Cephas and secondly to the Twelve. Next he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died; then he appeared to James, and then to all the apostles; and last of all he appeared to me too; it was as though I was born when no one expected it.

I am the least of the apostles; in fact, since I persecuted the Church of God, I hardly deserve the name apostle; but by God’s grace that is what I am, and the grace that he gave me has not been fruitless. On the contrary, I, or rather the grace of God that is with me, have worked harder than any of the others; but what matters is that I preach what they preach, and this is what you all believed.

The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm       Ps 117
Response     Give thanks to the Lord for he is good.
Or   Alleluia!

1. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.
Let the sons of Israel say: ‘His love has no end.’ Response

2. The Lord’s right hand has triumphed; his right hand raised me up.
I shall not die, I shall live and recount his deeds. Response

3. You are my God, I thank you. My God, I praise you.
I will thank you for you have given answer and you are my saviour. Response

Gospel Acclamation 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 !

or Mt 11: 28
Alleluia, alleluia!
Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
Alleluia !

GOSPEL

The Lord be with you And with your spirit.
A reading from the Gospel according to Luke 7:36-50 Glory to you, O Lord
Her many sins, must have been forgiven her, or she would not have shown such great love.

One of the Pharisees invited him to a meal. When he arrived at the Pharisee’s house and took his place at table, a woman came in, who had a bad name in the town. She had heard he was dining with the Pharisee and had brought with her an alabaster jar of ointment. She waited behind him at his feet, weeping, and her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them away with her hair; then she covered his feet with kisses and anointed them with the ointment.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself,
‘If this man were a prophet, he would know who this woman is that is touching him and what a bad name she has’.

Then Jesus took him up and said,
‘Simon, I have something to say to you’.
‘Speak, Master‘ was the reply.
‘There was once a creditor who had two men in his debt; one owed him five hundred denarii, the other fifty. They were unable to pay, so he pardoned them both. Which of them will love him more?‘
‘The one who was pardoned more, I suppose‘ answered Simon.
Jesus said, ‘You are right’.

Then he turned to the woman. ‘Simon,‘ he said ‘you see this woman?
I came into your house, and you poured no water over my feet, but she has poured out her tears over my feet and wiped them away with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but she has been covering my feet with kisses ever since I came in. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.
For this reason I tell you that her sins, her many sins, must have been forgiven her, or she would not have shown such great love. It is the man who is forgiven little who shows little love.’
Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven‘.
Those who were with him at table began to say to themselves, ‘Who is this man, that he even forgives sins?’
But he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace’.

The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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Gospel Reflection Thursday, Twenty Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Luke 7:36-50

In many ways today’s gospel describes one of the most striking scenes in all of the gospels. A woman breaks into a meal uninvited at which Jesus is a guest. She weeps unrestrainedly with her tears falling on the feet of Jesus. She proceeds to wipe her tears away from Jesus’ feet with her hair. She then covers his feet with kisses and anoints them with an alabaster jar of ointment she had brought with her. To the Pharisee who had invited Jesus to his house, the behaviour of this woman was unseemly, unbecoming, and scandalous, especially as she had a reputation as a sinner.

Yet, Jesus understood what lay behind the woman’s extravagant and unconventional behaviour. It was loving gratitude for the experience of God’s merciful love earlier conveyed to her through Jesus. It was love in return for love. She had received the gift of God’s unconditional love from Jesus and, now, she was responding in kind. The Pharisee had not experienced God’s loving forgiveness in the way the woman had and, so, could not understand her gestures. The portrayal of the woman reminds us that we give to the Lord in response to the experience of being gifted by the Lord. The experience of receiving the Lord’s unconditional love is the wellspring of a life of loving service of the Lord. There is the Lord’s commandment to love but prior to the commandment is the invitation to receive the gift of the Lord’s love. Receiving from the Lord is the inspiration for our giving to him.
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