Daily Readings Audio | Daily Meditation | June 4, 2018 – June 10, 2018

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June 4, 2018

« June 3  |  June 5 »

DAILY MEDITATION
by Rev. Peter Tuyen Tran

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In the first reading, Peter exhorts believers to supplement their faith with virtue, knowledge, self-control, endurance and devotion. In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the owner of a vineyard, whose tenants beat and kill his servants, even his beloved Son. The owner will put the wicket servants to death and give the vineyard to others.

God’s gifts supplement our faith and are used to build his kingdom – Today we reflect of the gifts God has given us: how those gifts can strengthen our faith, and how we might use those gifts to bear fruit for God.

Monday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 353

Reading 1 2 Pt 1:2-7

Beloved:
May grace and peace be yours in abundance
through knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

His divine power has bestowed on us
everything that makes for life and devotion,
through the knowledge of him
who called us by his own glory and power.
Through these, he has bestowed on us
the precious and very great promises,
so that through them you may come to share in the divine nature,
after escaping from the corruption that is in the world
because of evil desire.
For this very reason,
make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,
virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control,
self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion,
devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 91:1-2, 14-15b, 15c-16

  1. (see 2b) In you, my God, I place my trust.
    You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,
    who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
    Say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”
    R. In you, my God, I place my trust.
    Because he clings to me, I will deliver him;
    I will set him on high because he acknowledges my name.
    He shall call upon me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in distress.
    R. In you, my God, I place my trust.
    I will deliver him and glorify him;
    with length of days I will gratify him
    and will show him my salvation.
    R. In you, my God, I place my trust.

Alleluia See Rv 1:5ab

  1. Alleluia, alleluia.
    Jesus Christ, you are the faithful witness,
    the firstborn of the dead;
    you have loved us and freed us from our sins by your Blood.
    R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 12:1-12

Jesus began to speak to the chief priests, the scribes,
and the elders in parables.
“A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey.
At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants
to obtain from them some of the produce of the vineyard.
But they seized him, beat him,
and sent him away empty-handed.
Again he sent them another servant.
And that one they beat over the head and treated shamefully.
He sent yet another whom they killed.
So, too, many others; some they beat, others they killed.
He had one other to send, a beloved son.
He sent him to them last of all, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’
But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
So they seized him and killed him,
and threw him out of the vineyard.
What then will the owner of the vineyard do?
He will come, put the tenants to death,
and give the vineyard to others.
Have you not read this Scripture passage:

The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?”

They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the crowd,
for they realized that he had addressed the parable to them.
So they left him and went away.

 

June 5, 2018

« June 4  |  June 6 »

DAILY MEDITATION
by Rev. Peter Tuyen Tran

ooo
In the first reading, Peter warns his readers to stay true to the Lord’s teaching in preparing for life eternal. In the Gospel, Pharisees and Herodians try to trap Jesus about paying taxes to Rome, and he says: Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.

Let us be courageous witnesses to God’s truth and presence in our lives – Jesus amazes his followers in today’s Gospel because of his wise answer to a question about paying taxes. As Jesus’ disciples, let us seek the wisdom of the Holy Spirit each day in order to be courageous witnesses of Christ’s truth and his presence in our lives.

Memorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr
Lectionary: 354

Reading 1 2 Pt 3:12-15a, 17-18

Beloved:
Wait for and hasten the coming of the day of God,
because of which the heavens will be dissolved in flames
and the elements melted by fire.
But according to his promise
we await new heavens and a new earth
in which righteousness dwells.

Therefore, beloved, since you await these things,
be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace.
And consider the patience of our Lord as salvation.

Therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned,
be on your guard not to be led into the error of the unprincipled
and to fall from your own stability.
But grow in grace
and in the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
To him be glory now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 90:2, 3-4, 10, 14 and 16

  1. (1) In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
    Before the mountains were begotten
    and the earth and the world were brought forth,
    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
    R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
    You turn man back to dust,
    saying, “Return, O children of men.”
    For a thousand years in your sight
    are as yesterday, now that it is past,
    or as a watch of the night.
    R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
    Seventy is the sum of our years,
    or eighty, if we are strong,
    And most of them are fruitless toil,
    for they pass quickly and we drift away.
    R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
    Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
    that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
    Let your work be seen by your servants
    and your glory by their children.
    R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Alleluia See Eph 1:17-18

  1. Alleluia, alleluia.
    May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
    enlighten the eyes of our hearts,
    that we may know what is the hope
    that belongs to his call.
    R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 12:13-17

Some Pharisees and Herodians were sent
to Jesus to ensnare him in his speech.
They came and said to him,
“Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man
and that you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion.
You do not regard a person’s status
but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?
Should we pay or should we not pay?”
Knowing their hypocrisy he said to them,
“Why are you testing me?
Bring me a denarius to look at.”
They brought one to him and he said to them,
“Whose image and inscription is this?”
They replied to him, “Caesar’s.”
So Jesus said to them,
“Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God.”
They were utterly amazed at him.

 

June 6, 2018 

« June 5  |  June 7 »

DAILY MEDITATION
by Rev. Peter Tuyen Tran

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Paul encourages Timothy to make good use of the gifts of God that he received to spread the Gospel and build up the Church. In the Gospel, Jesus responds to the Sadducees’ question about resurrection, designed to strict him, pointing out their error and affirming that God is not God of the dead but of the living.

Our strength comes from God – We are reminded today that all of our strength, all of our power, comes from God. As followers of Jesus, we are asked to use this gifts of strength for the good of others – to share the Gospel and to give others the sense of hope that comes from knowing that God is all good and all powerful.

Wednesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 355

Reading 1 2 Tm 1:1-3, 6-12

Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God
for the promise of life in Christ Jesus,
to Timothy, my dear child:
grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father
and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I am grateful to God,
whom I worship with a clear conscience as my ancestors did,
as I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day.

For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame
the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.
For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice
but rather of power and love and self-control.
So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord,
nor of me, a prisoner for his sake;
but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel
with the strength that comes from God.

He saved us and called us to a holy life,
not according to our works
but according to his own design
and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began,
but now made manifest
through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus,
who destroyed death and brought life and immortality
to light through the Gospel,
for which I was appointed preacher and Apostle and teacher.
On this account I am suffering these things;
but I am not ashamed,
for I know him in whom I have believed
and am confident that he is able to guard
what has been entrusted to me until that day.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 123:1b-2ab, 2cdef

  1. (1b) To you, O Lord, I lift up my eyes.
    To you I lift up my eyes
    who are enthroned in heaven.
    Behold, as the eyes of servants
    are on the hands of their masters.
    R. To you, O Lord, I lift up my eyes.
    As the eyes of a maid
    are on the hands of her mistress,
    So are our eyes on the LORD, our God,
    till he have pity on us.
    R. To you, O Lord, I lift up my eyes.

Alleluia Jn 11:25a, 26

  1. Alleluia, alleluia.
    I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord;
    whoever believes in me will never die.
    R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 12:18-27

Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection,
came to Jesus and put this question to him, saying,
“Teacher, Moses wrote for us,
If someone’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child,
his brother must take the wife
and raise up descendants for his brother.

Now there were seven brothers.
The first married a woman and died, leaving no descendants.
So the second brother married her and died, leaving no descendants,
and the third likewise.
And the seven left no descendants.
Last of all the woman also died.
At the resurrection when they arise whose wife will she be?
For all seven had been married to her.”
Jesus said to them, “Are you not misled
because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?
When they rise from the dead,
they neither marry nor are given in marriage,
but they are like the angels in heaven.
As for the dead being raised,
have you not read in the Book of Moses,
in the passage about the bush, how God told him,
I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob?

He is not God of the dead but of the living.
You are greatly misled.”

 

June 7, 2018

« June 6  |  June 8 »

DAILY MEDITATION
by Rev. Peter Tuyen Tran

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In our first reading, Saint Paul addresses Timothy with words of encouragement and endearment. He speaks of the hardship with results from preaching the Gospel, as well as the power of the unchained word of God. In the Gospel, Jesus answers the question from the scribe concerning the greatest of all the commandments.

We preach Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, for the salvation of every person – We want to do our best to be good and faithful Catholics. Sometimes it seems easy, other times we may doubt our own beliefs or struggle with contrary outsides influences. Since we cannot rely only on ourselves to live a vibrant Christian life, we must allow God’s grace to form us into his disciples and to preach Jesus Christ raised from the dead.

Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 356

Reading 1 2 Tm 2:8-15

Beloved:
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David:
such is my Gospel, for which I am suffering,
even to the point of chains, like a criminal.
But the word of God is not chained.
Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen,
so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus,
together with eternal glory.
This saying is trustworthy:

If we have died with him
we shall also live with him;
if we persevere
we shall also reign with him.
But if we deny him
he will deny us.
If we are unfaithful
he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny himself.

Remind people of these things
and charge them before God to stop disputing about words.
This serves no useful purpose since it harms those who listen.
Be eager to present yourself as acceptable to God,
a workman who causes no disgrace,
imparting the word of truth without deviation.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 25:4-5ab, 8-9, 10 and 14

  1. (4) Teach me your ways, O Lord.
    Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
    teach me your paths,
    Guide me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are God my savior.
    R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
    Good and upright is the LORD;
    thus he shows sinners the way.
    He guides the humble to justice,
    he teaches the humble his way.
    R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
    All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy
    toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
    The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,
    and his covenant, for their instruction.
    R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.

Alleluia See 2 Tm 1:10

  1. Alleluia, alleluia.
    Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
    and brought life to light through the Gospel.
    R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 12:28-34

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.

 

June 8, 2018

« June 7  |  June 9 »

DAILY MEDITATION
by Rev. Peter Tuyen Tran

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In poetic, metaphoric language, today’s first reading tells of God’s personal and tender love for his people. In the second reading, the author explains that his calling is to help the Gentiles know the love God has for them. In the Gospel, we hear that the soldiers do not break Jesus’ legs, but do pierce his side – both of which occur so that the Scriptures may be fulfilled.

The Sacred heart of Jesus embodies the extravagant love Jesus has for us – The Sacred Heart of Jesus embodies the extravagant love Jesus has to us. Today’s solemnity, honoring the Sacred Heart, provides a special time to focus on what this love has done for us and how we might best respond to it. Let us search our own heart today and see how well Jesus’ love is reflected there.

Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Lectionary: 171

Reading 1 Hos 11:1, 3-4, 8c-9

Thus says the LORD:
When Israel was a child I loved him,
out of Egypt I called my son.
Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
who took them in my arms;
I drew them with human cords,
with bands of love;
I fostered them like one
who raises an infant to his cheeks;
Yet, though I stooped to feed my child,
they did not know that I was their healer.

My heart is overwhelmed,
my pity is stirred.
I will not give vent to my blazing anger,
I will not destroy Ephraim again;
For I am God and not a man,
the Holy One present among you;
I will not let the flames consume you.

Responsorial Psalm Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6.

  1. (3) You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
    God indeed is my savior;
    I am confident and unafraid.
    My strength and my courage is the LORD,
    and he has been my savior.
    With joy you will draw water
    at the fountain of salvation.
    R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
    Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
    among the nations make known his deeds,
    proclaim how exalted is his name.
    R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
    Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
    let this be known throughout all the earth.
    Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
    for great in your midst
    is the Holy One of Israel!
    R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Reading 2 Eph 3:8-12, 14-19

Brothers and sisters:
To me, the very least of all the holy ones, this grace was given,
to preach to the Gentiles the inscrutable riches of Christ,
and to bring to light for all what is the plan of the mystery
hidden from ages past in God who created all things,
so that the manifold wisdom of God
might now be made known through the church
to the principalities and authorities in the heavens.
This was according to the eternal purpose
that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,
in whom we have boldness of speech
and confidence of access through faith in him.

For this reason I kneel before the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory
to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,
and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
that you, rooted and grounded in love,
may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones
what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,
so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Alleluia Mt 11:29ab

  1. Alleluia, alleluia.
    Take my yoke upon you, says the Lord;
    and learn from me, for I am meek and gentle of heart.
    R. Alleluia, alleluia.Or

  1 Jn 4:10b

  1. Alleluia, alleluia.
    God first loved us
    and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
    R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Jn 19:31-37

Since it was preparation day,
in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,
for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,
the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken
and they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs,
but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
and immediately blood and water flowed out.
An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true;
he knows that he is speaking the truth,
so that you also may come to believe.
For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled:
Not a bone of it will be broken.
And again another passage says:
They will look upon him whom they have pierced.

 

June 9, 2018 

« June 8  |  June 10 »

DAILY MEDITATION
by Rev. Peter Tuyen Tran

ooo
In the first reading, Timothy charges the community members to proclaim the word and fulfill their ministry, as he himself is close to fulfilling his. In the Gospel, Jesus remains behind in the Temple doing the work of his Father, but no one else understands that yet.

Proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient – In today’s reading, we are called to proclaim the word and be persistent about it. Being a disciple and reaching out to others to share our faith is not easy. But because we are guided by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, we are able to persevere.

Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Lectionary: 358/573

Reading 1 2 Tm 4:1-8

Beloved:
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,
who will judge the living and the dead,
and by his appearing and his kingly power:
proclaim the word;
be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient;
convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.
For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine
but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity,
will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth
and will be diverted to myths.
But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances;
put up with hardship;
perform the work of an evangelist;
fulfill your ministry.

For I am already being poured out like a libation,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have competed well;
I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,
which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me,
but to all who have longed for his appearance.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 71:8-9, 14-15ab, 16-17, 22

  1. (see 15ab) I will sing of your salvation.
    My mouth shall be filled with your praise,
    with your glory day by day.
    Cast me not off in my old age;
    as my strength fails, forsake me not.
    R. I will sing of your salvation.
    But I will always hope
    and praise you ever more and more.
    My mouth shall declare your justice,
    day by day your salvation.
    R. I will sing of your salvation.
    I will treat of the mighty works of the Lord;
    O GOD, I will tell of your singular justice.
    O God, you have taught me from my youth,
    and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
    R. I will sing of your salvation.
    So will I give you thanks with music on the lyre,
    for your faithfulness, O my God!
    I will sing your praises with the harp,
    O Holy One of Israel!
    R. I will sing of your salvation.

Alleluia See Lk 2:19

  1. Alleluia, alleluia.
    Blessed is the Virgin Mary who kept the word of God
    and pondered it in her heart.
    R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 2:41-51

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,
and when he was twelve years old,
they went up according to festival custom.
After they had completed its days, as they were returning,
the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,
but his parents did not know it.
Thinking that he was in the caravan,
they journeyed for a day
and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
but not finding him,
they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
After three days they found him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the teachers,
listening to them and asking them questions,
and all who heard him were astounded
at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him,
they were astonished,
and his mother said to him,
“Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
And he said to them,
“Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what he said to them.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was obedient to them;
and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

 

June 10, 2018

« June 9  |  June 11 »

DAILY MEDITATION
by Rev. Peter Tuyen Tran

ooo
In Genesis, sin enters the world as Adam and Eve yield to the serpent’s temptation. Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians urges believers not to be discouraged: our earthly dwelling fades, but life in the Lord is eternal. Mark’s Gospel shows Jesus being described by the scribes as “possessed”. Jesus responds with a promise that doing the will of God makes his brothers and sisters.

Jesus, our path to salvation, call us brother and sister and command that we do the will of God – From the beginning, God has promised his people redemption. His love is stronger than sin and prevails over evil. Jesus comes to us to embody that love and set an example for us to follow. In doing God’s will, he shows us the way to the Father and calls us to do the same on our journey to eternal life.

Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 89

Reading 1 Gn 3:9-15

After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree,
the LORD God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?”
He answered, “I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself.”
Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”
The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me—
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”
The LORD God then asked the woman,
“Why did you do such a thing?”
The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”

Then the LORD God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
on your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

  1. (7bc) With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
    Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
    LORD, hear my voice!
    Let your ears be attentive
    to my voice in supplication.
    R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
    If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
    LORD, who can stand?
    But with you is forgiveness,
    that you may be revered.
    R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
    I trust in the LORD;
    my soul trusts in his word.
    More than sentinels wait for the dawn,
    let Israel wait for the LORD.
    R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
    For with the LORD is kindness
    and with him is plenteous redemption
    and he will redeem Israel
    from all their iniquities.
    R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.

Reading 2 2 Cor 4:13—5:1

Brothers and sisters:
Since we have the same spirit of faith,
according to what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke,
we too believe and therefore we speak,
knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus
will raise us also with Jesus
and place us with you in his presence.
Everything indeed is for you,
so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people
may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.
Therefore, we are not discouraged;
rather, although our outer self is wasting away,
our inner self is being renewed day by day.
For this momentary light affliction
is producing for us an eternal weight of glory
beyond all comparison,
as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen;
for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal.
For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent,
should be destroyed,
we have a building from God,
a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven.

Alleluia Jn 12:31b-32

  1. Alleluia, alleluia.
    Now the ruler of the world will be driven out, says the Lord;
    and when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.
    R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 3:20-35

Jesus came home with his disciples.
Again the crowd gathered,
making it impossible for them even to eat.
When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him,
for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said,
“He is possessed by Beelzebul,”
and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.”

Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables,
“How can Satan drive out Satan?
If a kingdom is divided against itself,
that kingdom cannot stand.
And if a house is divided against itself,
that house will not be able to stand.
And if Satan has risen up against himself
and is divided, he cannot stand;
that is the end of him.
But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property
unless he first ties up the strong man.
Then he can plunder the house.
Amen, I say to you,
all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be
forgiven them.
But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will never have forgiveness,
but is guilty of an everlasting sin.”
For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

His mother and his brothers arrived.
Standing outside they sent word to him and called him.
A crowd seated around him told him,
“Your mother and your brothers and your sisters
are outside asking for you.”
But he said to them in reply,
“Who are my mother and my brothers?”
And looking around at those seated in the circle he said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of God
is my brother and sister and mother.”