Liturgical Readings for : Tuesday, 8th October, 2024
Tuesday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2
True Freedom is a mix of power, reason, will, responsibility, discipline, activity and Grace
FIRST READING
A reading from the Book of the Galatians 1:13-24
God chose to reveal his Son in me, so that I might preach the Good News about him to the pagans.
You must have heard of my career as a practising Jew, how merciless I was in persecuting the Church of God, how much damage I did to it, how I stood out among other Jews of my generation, and how enthusiastic I was for the traditions of my ancestors.
Then God, who had specially chosen me while I was still in my mother’s womb called me through his grace and chose to reveal his Son in me, so that I might preach the Good News about him to the pagans. I did not stop to discuss this with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were already apostles before me, but I went off to Arabia at once and later went straight back from there to Damascus.
Even when after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him for fifteen days, I did not see any of the other apostles; I only saw James, the brother of the Lord, and I swear before God that what I have just written is the literal truth. After that I went to Syria and Cilicia, and was still not known by sight to the churches of Christ in Judaea, who had heard nothing except that their one-time persecutor was now preaching the faith he had previously tried to destroy; and they gave glory to God for me.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God
Responsorial Psalm Ps 138
Response Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.
1. O Lord, you search me and you know me, you know my resting and my rising,
you discern my purpose from afar.
You mark when I walk or lie down, all my ways lie open to you. Response
2. For it was you who created my being, knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I thank you for the wonder of my being, for the wonders of all your creation. Response
3. Already you knew my soul, my body held no secret from you,
when I was being fashioned in secret and moulded in the depths of the earth. Response
Gospel Acclamation Jn 15:15
Alleluia, Alleluia!
I call you friends, says the Lord,
because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father.
Alleluia!
or Lk 11: 28
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Happy are those who hear the word of God, and keep it!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 10:38-42 Glory to you, O Lord
Martha welcomed him into her house. It is Mary who has chosen the better part.
Jesus came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister
called Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to him speaking.
Now Martha who was distracted with all the serving said,
‘Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself?
Please tell her to help me.‘
But the Lord answered:
‘Martha, Martha,’ he said ‘you worry and fret about so many things,
and yet few are needed, indeed only one.
It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.’
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ
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Gospel Reflection Tuesday Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Luke 10:38-42
There are different forms of hospitality; there is the hospitality of activity and the hospitality of presence. In today’s gospel reading, Martha exemplifies the hospitality of activity and Mary the hospitality of presence. It seems that on this occasion, it was the hospitality of presence rather than of activity that Jesus was really looking for. In that sense, Mary read the situation better than Martha did. In the words of Jesus, she chose the better part. Jesus was not looking for an elaborate meal; he had a word to speak and what he wanted above all was a listening ear. It was Mary who noticed this and who sat at his feet to listen to his word. Mary was more hospitable on this occasion because she was more attentive to the needs of the guest than Martha was.
In our own relationship with the Lord there is a time for both sitting at his feet to listen to whatever word he may wish to speak to us and there is a time for rolling up our sleeves and serving in a very active way, as the Samaritan did in the parable that comes before this passage. We need to be attentive both to the Lord of the work and the work of the Lord, and we need the wisdom to discern what is being called for at any particular moment.
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd.
