Tag: God

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Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

three people holding wrists with words from gospel mark 12:31

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Mass Readings

Reading 1: Deuteronomy 6:2-6
Responsorial: Psalm 18:2-4, 47, 51
Reading 2: Hebrews 7:23-28
Gospel: Mark 12:28b-34

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/103121.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

Welcome back for another edition of deacon rudy’s notes. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal and together we’re going to break open the Word!

In today’s Gospel, a scribe approaches Jesus out of what seems like a spirit of goodwill. <1> He asks Jesus which is the greatest commandment (Mark 12:28b).

Why?

The Torah has 613 commandments! There were often debates among scholars whether anyone commandment was superior or provided a framework for the rest.

Jesus answers the scribe, “The first is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31)

The scribe says to Jesus, “Well said, teacher.” (Mark 12:32) You see, the scribe knows that Jesus didn’t dodge the question. The law was so important that Jesus said it two ways. <2> You cannot say you love God but turn around and hate your neighbor or worse – pretend they don’t exist.

What happens next is extraordinary. Jesus gives the scribe the single greatest compliment given to anyone in the Gospel. <3> Jesus tells the scribe, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” (Mark 12:34)

Why did Jesus pay the scribe a compliment? Because the scribe gets it. You can’t just talk the talk. You have to walk the walk!

But the compliment is also a challenge! Jesus said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” He didn’t say the scribe was already there. The scribe is on the right path but hasn’t fully realized missionary discipleship in his life.

This is a wildly important point for us. The scribe in Mark’s Gospel account is an example for all of us. How can we do better? By remembering that everyone we encounter is a creation of God. Everyone – even those people we don’t agree with – are worthy of our love and respect simply because they are created in the image and likeness of God.

Living that can be a tall order in our lives. How can we grow in understanding the Greatest Commandment? One way is to step outside our comfort zone – to go to the margins like Pope Francis suggests. The Pope reminds us that we are encouraged to reach out to people around the world.

I am a missionary disciple and I volunteer with Friends of los Niños. We work with orphans and abandoned children in Honduras, and we also minister in villages like Brisas del Salto. Why? Why should we travel or send support to a program outside our own country when there is so much need in our own country? That is an excellent question!

Traveling to another country and ministering to the poor is like jumping into a swimming pool filled with cold water. It shocks us awake. There is a family of children at the orphanage where we work. Mom was desperate. She had no income – no means of supporting her family of 6 children and her baby. She was all alone. So, one day, she decided to force-feed each of her children poison. Maybe she thought if she killed her babies, she could spare them from going to bed hungry one more time.

Through God’s providence, mom didn’t give her children enough poison to actually kill any of the children. Oh, they got sick and that’s how she got caught. The children came to COPPROME, the orphanage where we minister. Today, the youngest, that little baby, is a healthy growing boy. He’s sharp as a tack and honestly a little spoiled by all the love and attention he’d get when he was a baby.

You see, that’s one of the main things we do through our sponsorship program – we shower the children and the staff with love. We share our love for God with these innocent children. Through our work, we offer these children and the villagers we work with some hope – hope that God has not abandoned them – hope that God hears their prayers.

Who is we? We are all the people – people just like you – who sign up to sponsor children at the orphanage or at the village of Brisas del Salto. People like you who travel with us to Honduras to see for yourselves where the money goes. People like you who look into the eyes of these beautiful children and say to them, “You can make a difference!” How can we say that? That is the hope of Sister Teresita Gonzalez. She is a School Sister of Notre Dame and her life’s work has been to try to break the cycle of poverty through education.

Our work is not easy. We’ve had some ups and we’ve had some downs. Two of the graduates from the orphanage – two sisters, Karen and Amerita – became psychologists. Not only do they maintain a thriving practice but inspired by people like you who’ve they’ve met over the years, they became quite the entrepreneurs. They started youth leadership program augmented by coaching and counseling to help shape the next generation. And they work with children at the orphanage. We lost Karen through an act of senseless violence, but Amerita pushed forward with the love and support of friends including many volunteers from the United States. Amerita recently got married and Katrina was fortunate enough to be in town for the wedding. Going on is made easier by the example of our volunteers who model strength and resolve.

These two sisters are a success story despite the tragedy they’ve experienced. Their hope is a gift from God and nourished by volunteers who travel to Honduras to share the love of Jesus Christ. There are so many more opportunities to help – so many children with tremendous potential to make a difference. All they need is our love, encouragement, and support. Won’t you join us? As one of the priests who travels with us says about our children, “I dare you not to fall in love!”

Homework! Nourished by the Word of God and the Eucharist, I encourage you to reflect on the following challenge.

My brothers and sisters, through today’s Gospel, Jesus is inviting you to step up – to share your love for God by sharing your love with people like the children and villagers we work with in Honduras. I encourage you to think about the ways you can make a difference in the life of a child on the margins.

I think doing our homework will help us be the intentional disciples we are called to be. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Then go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen!

You’re listening to deacon rudy’s notes. Our theme music was composed by Silent Partner. You can find all sorts of helpful information on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org. I’m Deacon Rudy Villarreal. Join me again next weekend as we break open the Word! Peace!

Image Credit: Unknown. JPG file.

Notes:
<1> Mary Healy, Hebrews, 246.
<2> Michael Himes, “Chapter Three: Incarnation.”
<3> Ibid.

References:
1. Healy, Mary. Hebrews. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2016. Kindle.
2. Healy, Mary. The Gospel of Mark. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2008. Kindle.
3. Himes, Michael. The Mystery of Faith: An Introduction to Catholicism. Cincinnati: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2004. Kindle.
4. Montague, George T. SM. Mark: A Popular Commentary on the Earliest Gospel. Steubenville, Ohio: Franciscan University Press, 1992.

Catechism References http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm:
1. The two great commandments: 201-2, 2055, 2196
2. Jesus’ intercession for us: 519, 662, 2634, 2741
3. Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice made present in the liturgy: 1084-5, 1364-8
4. Priesthood of the old covenant: 1539-43
5. Holy orders in the economy of salvation: 1539-47
6. The first commandment: 2052, 2093-4
7. Commandments as a call for a response to love: 2083

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/103121.cfm
Lectionary: 152

Reading 1
Deuteronomy 6:2-6
Moses spoke to the people, saying:
“Fear the LORD, your God,
and keep, throughout the days of your lives,
all his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you,
and thus have long life.
Hear then, Israel, and be careful to observe them,
that you may grow and prosper the more,
in keeping with the promise of the LORD, the God of your fathers,
to give you a land flowing with milk and honey.

“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone!
Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God,
with all your heart,
and with all your soul,
and with all your strength.
Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today.”

Responsorial
Psalm 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51
R. (2) I love you, Lord, my strength.
I love you, O LORD, my strength,
O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.
My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.
The LORD lives! And blessed be my rock!
Extolled be God my savior.
You who gave great victories to your king
and showed kindness to your anointed.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.

Reading 2
Hebrews 7:23-28
Brothers and sisters:
The levitical priests were many
because they were prevented by death from remaining in office,
but Jesus, because he remains forever,
has a priesthood that does not pass away.
Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him,
since he lives forever to make intercession for them.

It was fitting that we should have such a high priest:
holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners,
higher than the heavens.
He has no need, as did the high priests,
to offer sacrifice day after day,
first for his own sins and then for those of the people;
he did that once for all when he offered himself.
For the law appoints men subject to weakness to be high priests,
but the word of the oath, which was taken after the law,
appoints a son,
who has been made perfect forever.

Alleluia
John 14:23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord;
and my father will love him and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mark 12:28b-34
One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
“Which is the first of all the commandments?”
Jesus replied, “The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
‘He is One and there is no other than he.’
And ‘to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself’
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

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Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus' hand

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Mass Readings

Reading 1: Isaiah 53:10-11
Responsorial: Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22
Reading 2: Hebrews 4:14-16
Gospel: Mark 10:35-45 or 10:42-45

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101721.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

Welcome back for another edition of deacon rudy’s notes. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal and together we’re going to break open the Word!

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says, “I came to serve, not to be served” (Mark 10:45). What a powerful line – a powerful theme – that’s at the heart of what it means to be a Christian disciple – service. It’s also at the center of so many our vocation stories. I’d like to share a little bit of my story with you.

When I was in high school, I wanted to be an attorney. I wanted to earn my first million by the time I turned twenty-one! And then of course that movie came out. You know, the one with Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson – A Few Good Men. Who didn’t want to be the suave debonair attorney in a courtroom saying, “I want the truth!”

Man, did I have a plan!

One day, there was an event going on at school and an event going on at the parish. So, my dad let me take the other car and go to school first and then come to the church when it was finished. I remember walking into the parish hall, and some adult I didn’t know saw me. He jumped out of his chair and rushed over to me. He said, “You must be our new seminarian.” In my heart of hearts I said, “good one, Lord, but I’ve got plans.”

Things like that kept happening to me – too many to share today. I even had a series of conversations with the director of campus ministry, a priest, about my call. Ultimately, I told him that I believed I was being called to married life. I thought that was that! Man was I wrong!

The next year I met this beautiful girl. A few years later, we married. And a few years later, we started a family. But we both kept feeling this call to serve. So, we served in a variety of ways – as a couple, as a family, as individuals. But for me, something was missing.

So, I kicked it up a notch. I became an acolyte much like our CALM up here. One year, I was coordinating the altar servers. The diocese had a workshop for altar servers in Belton. So, some parents and I took a group of altar servers to Belton. While I was there, I ran into an old college buddy who I hadn’t seen in years. He saw me, threw his arms in the air and he bounded up to me and said, “Father, Rudy!” In my heart of hearts, I said, “Well played, Lord, well played.”

I felt God was trying to send me a message. I felt I was being invited to be a deacon. So, I went home and I talked with my wife. After some discussion, prayer and some tears, we decided to speak with Father. And then we decided to attend an inquiry session. An inquiry session is an opportunity to learn more about the diaconate, to learn about the application process, and to learn about the formation process. And the rest is history.

What about you? Does any of that sound familiar to you? When you hear Jesus say, “I came to serve,” does something in your heart stir? Have you ever considered serving God as a priest, a deacon or a consecrated religious brother or sister?

You might be thinking, “Hold on now, Deacon! Don’t ask me that question! I can’t serve! Jesus doesn’t want a person like me!”

I get it! I used to think that way and to be honest, sometimes I doubt my call. I remember saying to Jesus, “You don’t want me! I’m a dreamer! I’m a big picture guy! I’m not the best or the brightest or the most organized. I don’t like the straight path! I like to meander my way through the woods and take my time. You don’t want me, Lord.”

God addressed my concern on the radio, believe or not! I remember listening to KLOVE, and someone rattled off a list of people in Scripture who have problems, yet God was able to work through them. Now, I don’t remember the whole list, but it went something like this. Isaac, one of the patriarchs was blind. Jacob who led his family to Canaan, walked with a limp after wrestling with the angel Lord. Rahab, that important spy who helped the people capture Jericho, was a prostitute. Moses spoke with a stutter. Peter denied Jesus three times. James and John in today’s Gospel asked Jesus, “What’s in it for us?” And Paul stood by and watched as Stephen, one of the first deacons of the church, was stoned to death.

God said to all of them, Despite all your problems and faults, I can work with you. He said to me, Rudy, despite all your problems and faults, I can work with you. And he says to each and every one of you, I can most assuredly work with you.

Okay, next question. Why does Jesus need me? Aren’t there enough priests, and deacons and religious brothers and sisters in this world? And the short answer is no.

But the need in our own parish is great!

There are retired people in our parish who think to themselves, “This isn’t what I had in mind for retirement.” Maybe their independence is threatened because their bodies aren’t cooperating or the money they saved for retirement is running out too fast.

Do you know, there are grandparents whose adult children are so busy trying to meet the challenges of life that they can’t bring their own kids to faith formation classes? So, the grandparents who believe it’s important for their grandchildren to be grounded in the faith bring their grandkids to faith formation classes.

There are single parents who struggle like so many people living paycheck to paycheck. The come to mass, and they feel completely alone.

I was reminded last night that there are also people in our community who are hurting over the loss of their spouse or a close family member. And they’re trying to figure out what’s their role in life now that their children have grown up and left the house.

The need is great right here, right now. None of those people want the Church to solve their problems them. But they need us to be here in ministry – to walk with them on their journey of faith. They need you right here, right now. Will you answer the call?

Ladies, next Wednesday, Project Miriam is hosting a dinner at St. William for young, single ladies who would like to know more about becoming a religious sister. Just go on to the Diocese of Austin’s vocations website to RSVP.

To the single men of our community, the diocese is hosting a dinner next Thursday at the Cathedral for men considering the priesthood. Just go on to the diocese’s vocations page to RSVP or talk with Father.

Gentlemen, if you’ve between the ages of 30 to 59 and wondered whether Jesus is calling you to be a deacon, then I have really good news for you! The diocese will begin hosting inquiry sessions at various locations beginning this November and running through next Spring. An inquiry session is where you can learn more about what it means to be a deacon, the application process, and the formation process. I encourage you to check it out. Talk to Father. Talk to me. Talk to any one of my brother deacons or our wives. We’d love to listen to how God is calling you and we’d love to share some more of our vocations stories with you.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus invites you to a life of service. What are you waiting for?

Homework! Nourished by the Word of God and by the Eucharist, I encourage you to reflect on the following question.

Jesus said he came to serve, not to be served. Ask yourself, “How am I answering Jesus’ invitation to serve?”

Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May each of us come to know the grace and peace of our Lord, Jesus Christ! +Amen!

You’re listening to deacon rudy’s notes. Our theme music was composed by Silent Partner. You can find all sorts of helpful information on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org. I’m Deacon Rudy Villarreal. Join me again next weekend as we break open the Word! Peace!

Image Credit: Unknown. JPG file.

References:
1. Healy, Mary. Hebrews. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2016. Kindle.
2. Healy, Mary. The Gospel of Mark. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2008. Kindle.
3. Montague, George T. SM. Mark: A Popular Commentary on the Earliest Gospel. Steubenville, Ohio: Franciscan University Press, 1992.

Catechism References http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm:
1. Christ as truly man: 467-70
2. Jesus’ temptations: 538-40
3. Jesus’ sacrifice: 599-618, 1225
4. Jesus’ sinlessness: 612
5. Christ the high priest: 662, 1137, 1544-45
6. Authority as service: 876, 2235
7. Jesus’ sympathy for us: 2602
8. Confidence before God: 2777-8

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101721.cfm
Lectionary: 146

Reading 1
Isaiah 53:10-11
The LORD was pleased
to crush him in infirmity.

If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.

Because of his affliction
he shall see the light in fullness
of days;
through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear.

Responsorial
Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22
R. (22) Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

Reading 2
Hebrews 4:14-16
Brothers and sisters:
Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our confession.
For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who has similarly been tested in every way,
yet without sin.
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace
to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.

Alleluia
Mark 10:45
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mark 10:35-45 or 10:42-45
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him,
“Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”
He replied, “What do you wish me to do for you?”
They answered him, “Grant that in your glory
we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.”
Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the cup that I drink
or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”
They said to him, “We can.”
Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink, you will drink,
and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;
but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John.
Jesus summoned them and said to them,
“You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles
lord it over them,
and their great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.
For the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

OR:

Jesus summoned the twelve and said to them,
“You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles
lord it over them,
and their great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.
For the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

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Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

different social media drawings

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Mass Readings

Reading 1: Isaiah 35:4-7a
Responsorial: Psalm 146:6-10
Reading 2: James 2: 1-5
Gospel: Mark 7:31-37

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090521.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

Happy Labor Day Weekend! I’m Deacon Rudy Villarreal and this is deacon rudy’s notes where each week we break open the Word!

Can you think back to a time when you were cut off from communicating with people – maybe during snowpocalypse – no power, no internet, no tv, no cell communication and even if you had it, you couldn’t recharge your phone!

If you’ve never experienced that, could you imagine what that would feel like?

Would you be frustrated? How could we experience catastrophic power outages in the United States in the 21st century?

How about scared? What if something happens and no one finds me?

Lonely?

I wonder if any of those emotions were experienced by our deaf-mute in our Gospel reading.

Once power, communication, and the internet are restored, what’s the first thing you would text or post on social media?

“Do you know who I saw not wearing a mask?” Or “Do you know who I saw wearing a mask?”

“Do you know who stopped me in the middle of this storm and went off I’m me about vaccines?”

I wonder what’s the first thing I’d text or post on social media?

Isn’t it interesting in this highly interconnected world we live in with so many communication tools we have at our disposal how quick we are to add fuel to all the political nonsense going on? Instead of telling our elected officials to knock it off and get back to work, so many of our family and friends participate in extremist ideas – doesn’t matter what side of the spectrum you’re on – it’s all a load of nonsense!

What is that about?

They used to say to know where our heart is, just look at where we spend our money and time. I still believe that, but I think a slight revision is in order. I would suggest that to know where our heart is, look at what we post on social media.

It seems to me that a lot of people on social media post more about politics or the opinions of their favorite cable news program than they do about their faith in Jesus Christ.

What an interesting exercise. I wonder what we’d find if each of us would scroll through all our social media platforms and all our text messages for the past 30 days. What would be the average of all that content?

How many times did we offer an encouraging word because of our hope in Jesus Christ?

In today’s Gospel, this guy’s friends were convinced Jesus could help. So, they brought him to Jesus. You can almost hear them beg Jesus, “Please help our friend.”

And Jesus moved with compassion looked to heaven because everything comes from the Father. Then, he healed the man in a most extraordinary way.

Can you imagine what it must have felt like to hear sounds for the first time in his life? “What is that sound?” “Why, it’s just the birds.” “Birds! I didn’t know they could make such sounds!” “And that noise coming from the water?” “It’s just the sound the stream makes as it trickles its way across the village.” “Wow!” His life is literally changed forever!

But Jesus asked them not to say anything. Why? Well, Scripture doesn’t answer that question directly. Maybe Jesus didn’t want the healing to distract from the hope and salvation God is offering them. You see, to these Greek thinking Gentiles, the body was corrupt. But Jesus used his body – his finger, his spit, his touch – to heal the deaf-mute. Perhaps Jesus’ lesson to the Gentiles was that the flesh is the hinge of salvation. Isn’t that what the Incarnation is all about?

Could they keep silent? Of course not! They told EVERYBODY! This Jesus can save us! And they hadn’t experienced the crucifixion and resurrection yet! Yet they believed Jesus could save them from their earthly impairments.

What curiosity of faith led them to bring their friend to Jesus? And what faith inspired them to share their friend’s good news?

And yet we who know about the crucifixion and the resurrection, we who’ve been baptized, we who call ourselves disciples – what is the average of the content we text or post on social media?

You see, all around us in church, there are people missing. People among our families and friends who long before the pandemic stopped coming to church. Maybe the pandemic gave them a reason to stop showing up. They need to hear the Good News. They need to be encouraged. They need to be invited. They need to feel welcomed because this world breeds such a powerful loneliness you just can’t imagine! The pandemic put a spotlight on it. It’s like our deaf-mute – totally cut off from everyone. Maybe surrounded by people, but no connection – lonely just the same. What is Jesus inviting us to do?

Homework! Nourished by the Word of God and the Eucharist, I encourage you to reflect on the following two questions.
First, review your text messages and social media posts for the last 30 days. What’s the average of that content? Does it reflect your hope in Jesus Christ?
Second, commit to share more Good News over the next 30 days. How can you encourage your family and friends?

I think doing our homework will help us be the intentional disciples we are called to be! Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you Father, Son and Holy Spirit. +Amen!

You’re listening to deacon rudy’s notes. Thank you for joining me today. Our theme music was composed by Silent Partner. You can find all sorts of helpful information on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org. I’m Deacon Rudy Villarreal. Join me again next weekend as we break open the Word. Peace!

Image: Social Medica. Artist Unknown. JPG.

Bibliography/Suggested Readings:
1. Anderson, Kelly and Daniel Keating. James, First, Second, and Third John. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2017. Kindle.
2. Healy, Mary. The Gospel of Mark. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2008. Kindle.
3. Montague, George T. SM. Mark: A Popular Commentary on the Earliest Gospel. Steubenville, Ohio: Franciscan University Press, 1992.

Catechism References http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm:
1. Faith: 150-65
2. The mercy of God: 270-1
3. Signs used by Christ, sacramental signs: 1151-52
4. Christ the physician: 1503-5
5. Respect for the human person: 1929-33
6. Love for the poor: 2443-49, 2462-63

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090521.cfm
Lectionary: 128

Reading 1
Isaiah 35:4-7a
Thus says the LORD:
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.
Streams will burst forth in the desert,
and rivers in the steppe.
The burning sands will become pools,
and the thirsty ground, springs of water.

Responsorial
Psalm 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10
R. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The God of Jacob keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD gives sight to the blind;
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The fatherless and the widow the LORD sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2
Jame 2:1-5
My brothers and sisters, show no partiality
as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.
For if a man with gold rings and fine clothes
comes into your assembly,
and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in,
and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes
and say, “Sit here, please, ”
while you say to the poor one, “Stand there, ” or “Sit at my feet, ”
have you not made distinctions among yourselves
and become judges with evil designs?

Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters.
Did not God choose those who are poor in the world
to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom
that he promised to those who love him?

Alleluia
Cf. Matthew 4:23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mark 7:31-37
Again Jesus left the district of Tyre
and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
He put his finger into the man’s ears
and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
“Ephphatha!”— that is, “Be opened!” —
And immediately the man’s ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to,
the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
“He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”