Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection September 17, 2024
Twenty-Fourth Week of Ordinary Time
17th September 2024 (Tuesday)
Psalter: Week 4
Reading of the Day
First Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27-31a
Brethren: Just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 4, 5 (R. 3c)
R/. We are his people, the sheep of his flock.
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. A great prophet has arisen among us, and God has visited his people.
R/. Alleluia.
Gospel: Luke 7:11-17
At that time: Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Tuesday – Twenty-Fourth Week of Ordinary Time
Guidelines: The misery of the world is not so much the excess of misery but the lack of sensitivity to that misery and to try to alleviate it
1. The world suffers. There are various suffering situations. Death is one such deeply suffering situation. It is very painful because it is a definitive breakage and loss of bonding with the loved one. In today’s gospel, we find one instance of death of the only son of a widow of Nain.
2. There were many in the death procession to show solidarity and console. But Jesus was not satisfied with merely accompanying the widow or saying a word of consolation. He goes beyond. He had compassion for her. He touches the dead son and brings him back to life.
3. Jesus shows us how to respond in our own similar situations of loss and pain. His response and action were a path of sensitivity, compassion, and action. In sensitivity, Jesus takes the initiative to intervene and do something for the widow. He feels one with her, in her anguish, and this is the true com-passion. And he does the action of life-restoration.
4. In fact, it was not just one individual act of a miracle. It was truly a life-giving act on different counts. He restores life to the dead man. He restores life to his mother who was also almost dead. Further, he also restores a new life and instills new hope in the people that there is always a compassionate God beside us.
5. This miracle should impel us to imitate Jesus in his heart of sensitivity and action of compassion. First of all, we should feel concerned to accompany those in pain. We need to take part in the procession of the suffering of others. We need to be able to cry along with those who cry. We should be able to say like Jesus, “Do not weep”.
6. But it is not enough. We should come up and touch the death-stretcher. We should be able to say to many who lie on the death stretcher, “Young man, I say to you, arise”. For this, as St Paul exhorts us in the first reading from 1 Corinthians, we should be aware of and live our oneness as one body of Christ.
7. We may have different functions like the limbs of a body but all belong to one and the same body. We may have different gifts and roles but we all belong to the one church and work for the glory of one God.
Practice: We can be sensitive, and compassionate and touch those in different death situations or suffering, only when we ourselves are touched by the Lord. Like the young man, raised to life, we must “rise up” at Jesus’ command
