The Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Isaiah 53:10-11; Psalm 32; Hebrews 4:14-16; Mark 10:35-45

Our first reading today comes from the “Suffering Servant” section within the book of the Prophet Isaiah. In the passage we see that the servant of God will suffer for the people in order to justify them. We know that the servant is Christ and through his passion, death and resurrection he has justified all human beings. In the gospel we see Jesus reminding the apostles and us also that those who wish to do the will of God and enter into eternal life must be the servants of all people. We cannot dominate people but must help all people to achieve perfection and this is done with a great deal of humility on our part and with an example of true Christian living. Most of us will not be called to suffer for our faith as Christ did but the suffering servant is the example which we must follow.

In the second reading from the letter to the Hebrews, the author tells us that we can confidently approach Christ with our weaknesses because Christ was human and knows our faults. Because of this, Christ will be merciful and gracious with us.

Alternative Gospel for Mission Sunday – Twenty-ninth Sunday, Year B:

Mark 10: 42-45

In the gospel for today we see Jesus reminding the apostles of the importance of service. Some had thought that being his followers would give them special places and privileges among the people but he is telling them that this is not case. The Mission of the Church is to spread the Good News of the kingdom and this can only be done through humble service. If we too serve our fellow men and women following Christ’s example then they will see the Body of Christ visible among them and we will have answered the Lord’s call to us as baptised Christians.

Ephesians 2:1-10; Psalm 99; Luke 12:13-21

In the letter to the Christian community at Ephesus on the western shore of modern-day Turkey, St Paul reminds his readers that humans were sinners who were ruled by their physical desires. Despite still being sinners God loved them greatly and sent his own Son to restore them to life. In the Gospel, Christ reminds us of the folly of storing up material goods here on earth. They only serve to distract us from the true treasure which we should be seeking – that is a place in the kingdom. Considering the great love of God and the sacrifice he made for us we should always keep the kingdom as the sole goal of our lives.

Ephesians 2:12-22; Psalm 84; Luke 12:35-38

St Paul tells us in the first reading that before Christ there was only the Law and only Jews could worship God. Through Christ we all now have the means to salvation because we can all become Christians regardless of our birth. He goes on to speak about a household and how we are now all part of that household through the saving power of Christ. In the Gospel we are told to be always ready because we do not know when the master will return to visit us. If we are living good Christian lives then we will be always ready and will not have to worry at the Lord’s return or our call to heaven.

Ephesians 3:2-12; Psalm – Isaiah 12; Luke 12:39-48

We read in our first reading from the letter to the Ephesians how the grace of God is meant for all peoples – be they Jew, Gentile or pagan. With this grace we can confidently draw closer to God. We are reminded again in today’s Gospel that we do not know the hour when we will be called to give an account of our stewardship and of our lives. When the Lord does return he will want to know if we have done all that he has told us to do which includes being full participants in the spread of the Good News.

Ephesians 3:14-21; Psalm 32; Luke 12:49-53

Today’s first reading contains the prayer which St Paul prayed for the Ephesians – that their faith would grow strong through the power of the Holy Spirit. In the Gospel we read an unusual passage in which Christ says that he came to bring division rather than peace. However, when we consider that he was talking about believer and unbeliever we can understand what he is saying. We are challenged to look into our hearts to see which category we fall into knowing that faith calls for action in our lives rather than simply reciting words.

Ephesians 4:1-6; Psalm 23; Luke 12:54-59

St Paul reminds us in the letter to the Ephesians that we all form part of the Body of Christ and that we should do all we can to build up the unity of that body. He also tells us how that should be done – through charity, selflessness, gentleness and patience and by believing in God as the head of all. Jesus admonishes the people in the Gospel for being able to read the weather but not being able to read the signs of the times and realise that he is the Messiah. We are challenged in our own day to read the signs of the times and to realise that we need Christ now more than ever before.

Ephesians 4:7-16; Psalm 121; Luke 13:1-9

In our first reading for today, St Paul again uses the analogy of the body to say that we each have our own role to play in the Body of Christ. Each person’s role is different but ultimately each is for the spreading of the Gospel and the building up of the kingdom and we must do all we can to fulfil that role. In the Gospel passage from St Luke, Jesus calls us to repentance in order to be saved. We should not put off our repentance until tomorrow but we should begin today for we do not know if we shall live to see tomorrow.