FIRST READING
He has been offered once to bear the sins of many, he will appear a second time to those who are eagerly waiting for him.
A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews (Hebrews 9: 15.24-28)
Brethren: Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred which redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant. For Christ has entered, not into a sanctuary made with hands, a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the Holy Place yearly with blood not his own; for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgement, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 98: 1 .2-3ab. 3cd-4.5-6
R/. O sing a new song to the Lord, for he has worked wonders.
O sing a new song to the Lord,
for he has worked wonders.
His right hand and his holy arm
have brought salvation. R/.
The Lord has made known his salvation,
has shown his deliverance to the nations.
He has remembered his merciful love
and his truth for the house of Israel. R/.
R/. O sing a new song to the Lord, for he has worked wonders.
All the ends of the earth
have seen the salvation of our God.
Shout to the Lord, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song,
and sing out your praise. R/.
Sing psalms to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn,
raise a shout before the King, the Lord. R/.
ALLELUIA 2 Timothy 1: 10
Alleluia. Our Saviour Christ Jesus abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
“Satan is coming to an end.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 3:22-30)
At that time: The scribes who came down from Jerusalem said of Jesus, “He is possessed by Beelzebul, and by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” And he called them to him, and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man; then indeed he may plunder his house. “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” — for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
TODAY’S REFLECTION
After a vision which he had seen during a Mass, St Thomas Aquinas decided he would write no more because all he had written thus far appeared to be of little value compared to what he had seen. Jesus is supreme over all human endeavours, even more than what we can imagine. The customary sacrifice of an animal in Jewish worship is done repeatedly as a way of renewal. But Christ’s sacrifice does not need such renewal because it was done once and for all. Each time we participate at Mass, that supreme sacrifice is made present again. This is why we should always desire to participate at Mass.