Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection September 24, 2024

24th September 2024 (Tuesday)

Psalter: Week 1

Reading of the Day

First Reading: Proverbs 21:1-6, 10-13

The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart. To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin. The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty. The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapour and a snare of death. The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbour finds no mercy in his eyes. When a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise; when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge. The Righteous One observes the house of the wicked; he throws the wicked down to ruin. Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.

Psalm 119:1, 27, 30, 34, 35, 44 (R. 35a)

R/. Guide me, Lord, in the path of your commands.

Gospel Acclamation

V/. Alleluia

R/. Alleluia

V/. Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.

R/. Alleluia.

Gospel: Luke 8:19-21

At that time: His mother and his brothers came to Jesus, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

Daily Gospel Reflection

Tuesday – Twenty-Fifth Week of Ordinary Time

Guidelines: Belonging to Jesus is not a matter of lineage or membership but ultimately is a matter of living according to his word and God’s will

1. Demarcation and fragmentation is the norm of the day. People get divided and antagonized on the basis of factors like caste, religion, region, language, culture, rite, et cetera.

2. That is why discrimination and nepotism become the rule of the day. Allegiance is claimed as a right on account of adherence to the above-mentioned factors. But all these are in fact secondary and contingent factors.

3. This same mentality is reflected in the religious domain as well. Many feel and claim that they are really religious and devout and faithful people because they have the religious allegiance or hold some titles or perform some activities or discharge some duties or command some animation and organization.

4. It is in such a context Jesus makes it clear that relationship with him is not a matter of lineage or membership but is rather a matter of fidelity. It is to belong to a higher realm, an expanded spiritual family. The sole criterion for this new family and new enterprise is to “hear God and do His will”.

5. Jesus’ question, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers and sisters?” is not demeaning them but it is in fact elevating their true dignity drawing our attention to the essentials. These essentials are nothing but simple details of virtue and goodness toward others.

6. The first reading from Proverbs outlines some of these. First of all, it means nurturing a heart that is humble, wise, and surrendered. It is to make one’s heart like a “stream of water in the hand of the Lord so that He turns it wherever He wills”. In wisdom, he keeps himself docile to the Lord to be “instructed so that he gains knowledge”.

7. The one who hears God’s word and does His will knows fully well that “the Lord weighs the heart”. Accordingly, he avoids all haughty eyes and a proud heart, which are the lamp of the wicked. Unlike the soul of the wicked, the man of God never desires evil and is always merciful toward his neighbour, always opening his ears to the cry of the poor.

8. It is by diligence that he tries to prosper in life and become abundant and does not get treasures by a lying tongue. Thus, he becomes acceptable to the Lord not only by mere sacrifices and religious practices but much more by doing righteousness and justice.

Practice: Divisions and failures in fraternity and kindness are an abomination to the Lord because they are outright lashes to our oneness as a spiritual family in one consecration and mission