FIRST READING
“All the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.”
A reading from the Book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 26:1- 9)
In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the Lord, “Thus says the Lord: Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah which come to worship in the house of the Lord all the words that I command you to speak to them; do not hold back a word. It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil way, that I may repent of the evil which I intend to do to them because of their evil doings. You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law which I have set before you, and to heed the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not heeded, then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth”’ The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die! Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the Lord
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 69:5.8- 10. 14 (R. 1 4c)
R/. In your great mercy, answer me, O Lord.
More numerous than the hairs on my head
are those who hate me without cause.
Many are those who attack we, enemies with lies.
What I have never stolen, how can I restore? R/.
It is for you that I suffer taunts,
that shame has covered my face.
To my own kin I have become an outcast,
a stranger to the children of my mother.
Zeal for your house consumes me,
and taunts against you fall on me. R/.
R/. In your great mercy, answer me, O Lord
But I pray to you, O Lord, for a time of your favour.
In your great mercy, answer me, O God,
with your salvation that never fails. R/.
ALLELUIA 1 Peter 1: 25
Alleluia. The word of the Lord abides for ever; that word is the good news which was preached to you. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
A Reading from the holy Gospel according from John (John 11:19-27)
At that time: many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary sat in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Today’s Reflection
The church today keeps the memory of Martha of Bethany, the sister of Mary and Lazarus. She, together with her siblings, was a close friend of Jesus. On one occasion when Jesus visited their home (Lk 10:38-42), Martha complained to Jesus about her sister Mary: “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” Martha, of course, was a diligent and hardworking host but did not have her priorities right. Jesus reminds her that she was distracted about many things but Mary has chosen the better part that is being in the company of Jesus and listening to him. In today’s gospel scene we find a more mature Martha who places her total trust in the person and the power of Jesus: “Yes, lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” Let us learn from Martha to place our trust in Jesus and his power.