FIRST READING
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 8:1-8)
“I will save my people from the east country and from the west country.”
The word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. Thus says the Lord: I will return to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. Thus says the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. Thus says the Lord of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, says the Lord of hosts? Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country; and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.”
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 102:16-18.19-21.29 and 22-23 (R. 17)
R. The Lord shall build up Sion, he will appear in all his glory.
The nations shall fear the name of the Lord,
and all the earth’s kings your glory.
When the Lord shall build up Sion,
he will appear in all his glory.
Then he will turn to the prayers of the helpless;
he will not despise their prayers. R.
Let this be written for ages to come,
that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord;
the Lord looked down from his holy place on high,
looked down from heaven to the earth,
to hear the groans of the prisoners,
and free those condemned to die. R.
R. The Lord shall build up Sion, he will appear in all his glory.
The children of your servants shall dwell untroubled,
and their descendants established before you.
May the name of the Lord be proclaimed in Sion,
and his praise in Jerusalem,
when peoples and kingdoms are gathered as one
to offer their worship to the Lord. R.
ALLELUIA Mark 10:45
Alleluia. The Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Luke 9:46-50)
“He who is least among you all is the one who is great.”
At that time: An argument arose among the disciples as to which of them was the greatest. But when Jesus perceived the thought of their hearts, he took a child and put him by his side, and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me; for he who is least among you all is the one who is great.” John answered, “Master, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he does not follow with us.” But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him; for he that is not against you is for you.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Today’s Reflection
Children are like messages from heaven. In them we discover the realities of heavenly living, because they always come with heavenly messages. Estelle R. Reder wrote, “Children come to us more highly evolved than adults, to teach us the lessons we need to learn.” They come with lessons of the kingdom of God, and the best way to receive the kingdom is by learning more from them. God can be found among the most humble, the poor, the abandoned, the widows, the defenseless, the orphans and the downtrodden. Hence we not only need to be small but should learn to receive the little ones wherever we find them, and in whatever situation they come to us.