Liturgical Readings for : Tuesday, 23rd January, 2024
Tuesday of Third Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2
FIRST READING
A reading from the second book of Samuel 6: 12-15, 17-19
David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark f the Lord with acclaim.
David went and brought the Ark of God up from Obededom’s house to the Citadel of David with great rejoicing. When the bearers of the Ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fat sheep. And David danced whirling round before the Lord with all his might, wearing a linen loincloth round him. Thus David and all the House of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with acclaim and the sound of the horn. They brought the ark of the Lord in and put it in position inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered holocausts before the Lord, and communion sacrifices.
And when David had finished offering holocausts and communion sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. He then distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israelites, men and women, a roll of bread to each, a portion of dates, and a raisin cake. Then they all went away, each to his own house.
The Word of the Lord. And with your spirit.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 23
Response Who is the king of glory? He, the Lord, he is the king of glory
1. O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of glory! Response
2. Who is the king of glory? The Lord, the mighty, the valiant,
the Lord, the valiant in war. Response
3. O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of glory! Response
4. Who is he, the king of glory? He, the Lord of armies,
he is the king of glory. Response
Gospel Acclamation Ps 118:135
Alleluia, alleluia!
Let your face shine on your servant, and teach me your decrees.
Alleluia!
or Mk 11. 25
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to mere children .
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 3:31-35
Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.
His mother and brothers now arrived and, standing outside, sent in a message asking for him. A crowd was sitting round him at the time the message was passed to him,
‘Your mother and brothers and sisters are outside asking for you’.
He replied, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?‘
And looking round at those sitting in a circle about him, he said,’
Here are my mother and my brothers.
Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.’
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Gospel Reflection Tuesday Third Week in Ordinary Time Mark 3:31-35
The bringing of the ark of God, or the Ark of the Covenant, in procession to Jerusalem was a very significant event for the people of Israel under their king, David. The ark of God was a container which held the two tablets of stone on which the Ten Commandments were written. On Mount Sinai, God had promised the people of Israel that he would be their God, and they in turn promised God that they would be his people by living according to the Ten Commandments. This container with its contents symbolized God’s covenant with his people and theirs with him. It embodied God’s choice of the people of Israel in the service of all humanity.
As the ark of God is brought to the citadel of David in Jerusalem, it is celebrated with elements with which we are very familiar from our own liturgy, especially the Eucharist. There is music and song, there is sacrifice and there is communion, the sharing of food. At every Eucharist, we generally have some singing. At every Eucharist, the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, his loving surrender to God and to humanity on Calvary, is sacramentally present to us. At every Eucharist, we enter into communion with the Lord as Bread of Life and with each other as members of his body. So much of our faith has deep roots in the religion of Israel.
In the gospel reading we have another element that is central to our Eucharist, the ministry of the word. Jesus is in a house in Capernaum with people sitting around him listening to him preaching, proclaiming God’s word, God’s will. He identifies those sitting around him as his brothers and sisters and mother, his new spiritual family. We all belong to that family and at the Eucharist we both celebrate and consolidate our belonging to the Lord’s family.
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd.
