Liturgical Readings for : Saturday, 26th October, 2024
Saturday of the Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle 2
Saturday Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary
FIRST READING
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Ephesians 4:7-16
Christ, is the head by whom the whole body grows.
Each one of us, however, has been given his own share of grace, given as Christ allotted it.
As he said that he would: When he ascended to the height, he captured prisoners, he gave gifts to men.
When it says, ‘he ascended’, what can it mean if not that he descended right down to the lower regions of the earth? The one who rose higher than all the heavens to fill all things is none other than the one who descended.
And to some, his gift was that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers; so that the saints together make a unity in the work of service, building up the body of Christ. In this way we are all to come to unity in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God, until we become the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself.
Then we shall not be children any longer, or tossed one way and another and carried along by every wind of doctrine, at the mercy of all the tricks men play and their cleverness in practising deceit. If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to its function. So the body grows until it has built itself up, in love.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 121
Response I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
1. I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house:
And now our feet are standing within your gates, o Jerusalem. Response
2. Jerusalem is built as a city strongly compact.
It is there that the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord. Response
3. For Israel’s law it is, there to praise the Lord’s name.
There were set the thrones of judgement of the house of David. Response
Gospel Acclamation Ps 144: 13
Alleluia, Alleluia!
The Lord is faithful in all his words and loving in all his deeds.
Alleluia!
or Ez 33: 11
Alleluia, Alleluia!
I take pleasure, not in the death of a wicked man, says the Lord,
but in the turning back of a wicked man who changes his ways to win life.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 13:1-9 Glory to you, O Lord
Unless you repent you will all perish as they did.’
Some people arrived and told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with that of their sacrifices.
At this he said to them,
‘Do you suppose these Galileans who suffered like that were greater sinners than any other Galileans? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen on whom the tower at Siloam fell and killed them? Do you suppose that they were more guilty than all the other people living in Jerusalem? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did.’
He told this parable:
‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it but found none. He said to the man who looked after the vineyard,
“Look here, for three years now I have been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and finding none. Cut it down: why should it be taking up the ground?”
“Sir,” the man replied “leave it one more year and give me time to dig round it and manure it: it may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.“‘
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Gospel Reflection Saturday Twenty Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Luke 13:1-9
We live in an age when people expect results and if results are not forthcoming then there are certain consequences. The old television series ‘the Apprentice’ comes to mind with its famous line ‘You are fired’. The poor unfortunates who don’t deliver the goods unceremoniously get their walking papers. Yet, some people need time to deliver, and, even, a lot of time. We can write off someone far too quickly; most people have abilities they are not fully aware of, and what they need is a mentor who is prepared to give them time and patience.
The fig tree in the gospel parable that failed to bear fruit after three years would be lucky, in today’s world, to get one year never mind three. Yet, in the parable, we find the man who looks after the tree persuading the owner of the vineyard that the fig tree should be given a fourth year. He was all on for giving it every possible chance, not just time, but tender loving care in the form of fertilizer. The parable is an image of how the Lord relates to us. He is slow to give up on us even when the signs are not promising. He will continue to pour his grace into our lives; he will do all he can to ensure that our lives bear fruit, the rich fruit of the Holy Spirit. We have a part to play; the Lord cannot work in our lives despite us. Yet, the parable assures us that the Lord’s efforts on our behalf will always far exceed whatever efforts we might make. As Paul says, ‘grace abounds, and even when sin abounds, grace abounds all the more.’
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd.
