Jeremiah 31:7-9; Psalm 125; Hebrews 5:1-6; Mark 10:46-52

The book of the Prophet Jeremiah was written just before the Babylonian captivity and in it the prophet predicts the downfall of the Jewish people because of their iniquities. In our passage today we see the Lord telling the people that he will bring them back to their home. Despite all they have done he will heal and cure those who are sick and will comfort the people as he guides them. The Psalm continues the theme of bondage in Babylon. In the gospel we see Jesus restoring sight to a blind man. As with all the miracles worked by Jesus the blind man had to ask for healing which reminds us that nobody will be forced to accept the love of God. Jesus is also the fulfilment of the text from Jeremiah because he is the one who is leading us to our true homeland – which is the kingdom of God – and he comforts us as he does so.

The author of the letter to the Hebrews speaks today of the priesthood. He reminds us that nobody chooses to be a priest but is called to that service by God himself. Priests come from among the people – they are not born into a special class with superhuman powers – they are regular human beings with the same faults and failings as everybody else and because of this are able to intercede for us and to minister to us on God’s behalf.

Romans 8:12-17; Psalm 67; Luke 13:10-17

St Paul reminds us in today’s extract from the letter to the Romans that we must live by the Spirit if we are to be saved. We must give up our unspiritual and sinful ways and turn to the Lord, otherwise we will be lost. In the society in which Paul lived, to be adopted into a family was to receive all the rights and privileges of that family. He extends this to remind us that we have been adopted as sons and daughters of God and that we, therefore, share the same rights and privileges of Christ, who is our brother. The Psalm further reminds us that the Lord saves us. In the Gospel we see Jesus healing a woman on the Sabbath which infuriates the officials in the synagogue causing one of them to speak out against Jesus. But Jesus’ reply shows that there is nothing in the Law which forbids good deeds being carried out even on the Sabbath. The officials had failed to see that adherence to the Law alone could not save them – they missed out the teaching on faith. It also shows that while salvation is in their midst, some Pharisees have been too blinded by the Law to see that salvation.

Romans 8:18-25; Psalm 125; Luke 13:18-21

In the letter to the Romans St Paul acknowledges that we do suffer in this life but he goes on to say that those sufferings are nothing compared to the glory which is to be revealed at our resurrection. That glory is in the next life and we must be patient for it will not be revealed to us in this life, though it is there for each one of us. The Psalm supports Paul’s teaching – “Those who are sowing in tears will sing when they reap.” In the Gospel passage for today, we see Jesus talking about the kingdom of God and his message is that it is something which has the power to transform society. It may start with humble beginnings but it has the power to be a great transforming and growing force which can bring peace, beauty and shelter to our modern and often way-ward world. However, it can only grow if each member of the Church plays their role in the building up of the kingdom, otherwise the kingdom will remain very small.

Romans 8:26-30; Psalm 12; Luke 13:22-30

In the first reading today from the letter to the Romans we are told that the Spirit of God is with us and helps us to communicate with God and to do his will. With such an advocate and guide always with us to help us become true images of Christ, how can we fail to live Christian lives? There is a sad reminder in the Gospel for us today. We are told that there are two paths which we can follow in life – the path outlined by Christ or the path which allows us to do what we want to do. The sad reminder is that the majority of people opt for the latter which may make them happier in their own eyes in this life but which ultimately will not lead to eternal life. Jesus tells us that in fact fewer people follow his path and yet they are the ones who gain eternal life while the others are turned away. The challenge for us today is to look at our own lives and to consider honestly and openly whether we are on the narrow path of righteousness or the broad path which ultimately takes us further from God. It is our Lord himself who reminds us that there is an alternative to heaven and that some people are refused entry to heaven.

Feast of Sts Simon & Jude, the Apostles

Ephesians 2:19-22; Psalm 18; Luke 6: 12-19

Very little is actually known about these two apostles. Simon, known as “the Zealous,” is named in the list of the Twelve. Jude (Thaddeus) is believed to be the brother of James the Less and also the author of the epistle which bears his name. Tradition holds that Simon and Jude were martyred together in Persia but there is no proof for this.

Romans 9:1-5; Psalm 147; Luke 14:1-6

In today’s text from the letter to the Romans we see St Paul speaking honestly about the Jews – the people with whom he had shared his faith for so long. He doesn’t speak negatively about them but speaks about them in a very Christian manner and also with a note of sadness. Over the next three chapters of his letter he tries to explain the place of the Chosen People in salvation history. He is sad because the Jews have rejected Christ: they heard the message of Christ as he heard it and yet they have rejected it and decided not to follow him. The Jews were always the Chosen People and in the life of Christ they were offered the Good News first but rejected it. We again see in the Gospel that Jesus is being watched closely by the Pharisees on the Sabbath. Again he cures someone and again the Pharisees and some of the witnesses fail to hear his teaching that it is not against the Law to do good for another human being on the Sabbath. For them, any act which appeared to be work or servile was strictly forbidden on the Sabbath. We must ask ourselves whether we simply go through the motions of fulfilling the commandments or do we live our life because we believe in the Word of God.

Romans 11:1-2, 11-12, 25-29; Psalm 93; Luke 14:1, 7-11

In the closing section of today’s text from his letter to the Romans, St Paul tells us that the love which God has lavished on each and every person will not be taken away from them. That love is given for all time but it is up to each individual to accept that love and they can do so whenever they wish. By way of example he tells us that the Jews were the Chosen People and that while they may have rejected Christ they are still the Chosen People and can accept Jesus whenever they want and so really feel the love of God present in our world. The Psalm reminds us that the Lord does not abandon his people. In the Gospel we see Jesus giving the Pharisees a lesson on humility. He tells them that they must be a humble people because if they try to exalt themselves they could end up being very embarrassed when their true standing is exposed. So too with us: in the eyes of God we are all equal and so we should live lives of humility if we are to truly please the Lord.