Liturgical Readings for : Thursday, 26th September, 2024
Thursday of 25th week of Ordinary Time, Year 2
Optional memorial of Ss Cosmos and Damian, martyrs
FIRST READING
A reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes 1:2-11
There is nothing new under the sun.
Vanity of vanities, the Preacher says. Vanity of vanities. All is vanity!
For all his toil, his toil under the sun, what does man gain by it?
A generation goes, a generation comes, yet the earth stands firm for ever. The sun rises, the sun sets; then to its place it speeds and there it rises. Southward goes the wind, then turns to the north; it turns and turns again; back then to its circling goes the wind.
Into the sea all the rivers go, and yet the sea is never filled, and still to their goal the rivers go. All things are wearisome. No man can say that eyes have not had enough of seeing, ears their fill of hearing.
What was will be again; what has been done will be done again; and there is nothing new under the sun. Take anything of which it may be said, ‘Look now, this is new’. Already, long before our time, it existed. Only no memory remains of earlier times, just as in times to come next year itself will not be remembered.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 89
Response O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
1. You turn men back into dust and say: ‘Go back, sons of men:
To your eyes a thousand years are like yesterday, come and gone,
no more than a watch in the night. Response
2. You sweep men away like a dream, like grass which springs up in the morning.
In the morning it springs up and flowers: by evening it withers and fades. Response
3. Make us know the shortness of our life that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Lord, relent! Is your anger for ever? Show pity to your servants. Response
4. In the morning, fill us with your love; we shall exult and rejoice all our days.
Let the favour of the Lord be upon us: give success to the work of our hands Response
Gospel Acclamation Ps 118: 18
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Open my eyes, O Lord, that I am consider the wonders of your law.
Alleluia !
or Jn 14: 6
Alleluia, Alleluia!
I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;
no one can come to the Father except through me .
Alleluia !
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 9:7-9 Glory to you, O Lord
I beheaded him. So who is this I hear such reports about?’
Herod the tetrarch had heard about all that was going on; and he was puzzled,
because some people were saying that John had risen from the dead,
others that Elijah had reappeared,
still others that one of the ancient prophets had come back to life.
But Herod said,
‘John? I beheaded him. So who is this I hear such reports about?’
And he was anxious to see Jesus.
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Gospel Reflection Thursday, Twenty Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Luke 9:7-9
It is said of Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, at the end of today’s gospel reading that ‘he was anxious to see Jesus’. Why would a powerful ruler like Herod Antipas want to see a preacher and healer from a small village in Galilee? The gospel reading says that he was puzzled because of the various reports he was hearing about Jesus. He was asking himself, ‘Who is this?’ This is the same Herod who had John the Baptist beheaded in prison. According to Luke’s gospel from which we are reading, Herod did get to see Jesus on the eve of Jesus’ death by crucifixion. Pilate sent Jesus to Herod to get his view on this troublesome prophet. According to Luke, Herod questioned him at some length but Jesus gave him no answer. So Herod and his soldiers treated Jesus with contempt, putting an elegant robe on him in mockery and sent him back to Pilate. Herod’s curiosity about Jesus did not bring him to faith in Jesus. Yet, sometimes people’s curiosity about Jesus does bring them to faith.
According to the gospel of John, Nicodemus’ curiosity about Jesus brought him to faith eventually. Even people of faith can be curious about Jesus and their curiosity can help to deepen their faith. There is much to be curious about when it comes to Jesus. There is such a depth to him that there is no limit to the questions we could ask in his regard. To believe is to see dimly, as Saint Paul says, and, as people of faith, we will always be trying to see more clearly. It is good to notice the questions that our faith gives rise to, questions about God, about Jesus, about the world. Exploring those questions can lead to a deepening of our faith, to a growth in our relationship with the Lord.
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd.
