Year B
Discover the deeper meaning and connections found in this week's readings, through these great commentaries written by our priests.
Explore this week's readings and hear what God is saying to us through His Word.
Find out more about how we can mark this special day in our liturgy.
See our music recommendations for the liturgy.
‘The Truth will set you free’ – Dare we believe it?
Today we are touched by the unbelief around us and as we battle with this, it is important to recognise that the Old Testament prophets and Jesus himself had to deal with the same thing. The readings for this weekend are all very short, but say much about the plight of the bearers of God’s word.
The passage from Ezekiel comes without any context, making it difficult to grasp the proper meaning. Prior to this passage, Ezekiel’s vision of divine glory is described, a vision which so overwhelms him that he falls to the ground. This is the point at which we begin the reading today, ‘The spirit came into me and made me stand up’. Ezekiel, like Jeremiah, is given the thankless task of being the prophet to his contemporaries about the looming disaster which awaits them, defeat and exile from the Promised Land, God’s punishment for their failure to follow him with undivided hearts.
The psalm contrasts the people to whom Ezekiel was sent with a humble and contrite nation, a people asking for the forgiveness of their sins and praying for God’s mercy, those ready to listen to the word of the Lord, to accept it and to follow it.
St Paul tells us of the burden he has been given to keep him from becoming overly proud of what has been revealed to him, ‘a torn in my flesh’, which in spite of his prayers is not removed from him, but he does receive an answer, that ‘my grace is enough for you.’ God hears our prayers, but gives us not what we want, but what we need.
In the Gospel, Mark tells us of Jesus’ visit to his home town. Here, he is greeted with the same unbelief with which Ezekiel was faced. The townspeople, who know him as ‘the carpenter, the son of Mary’ are not prepared to accept him for who he really is, nor the message which he brings with him. Unbelief features strongly in St Mark’s Gospel and Jesus is astonished by the lack of faith he meets here. As a result, he is unable to perform any miracles, rejection rendering Jesus powerless. As Mark has already made clear, ‘his wonders are done within the context of faith, even if only incipient or failing.’ (1)
Today’s Gospel reading also raises the question of Jesus having ‘brothers and sisters’. As always, we need to consider this in the context of the time, where family relationships were less narrowly defined and are likely to be cousins and other relatives. (2)
1 Moloney, Francis J. SDB, The Gospel of Mark – ACommentary, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, Michigan
2 CCC 500
We find in today’s Collect two contrasting themes. Firstly, ‘abasement’, ‘fallen world’, and ‘slavery to sin’; and secondly, ‘holy joy’, ‘rescued’, and ‘eternal gladness’. Jesus Christ is the middle point between these two contrasting themes. We only need to open our news apps or newspapers or turn on the radio or television, to hear of the reality of a ‘fallen world’ – war, injustice, hatred, rejection, and brokenness. We experience this in our own lives with being ‘enslaved’ with all forms of sin of not loving God and our neighbour. It can be easy to fall into despair wondering when things will change in the world and in our own lives. However, through the ‘abasement’ or incarnation of Jesus Christ, God enters the messiness of the fallen world. He redeems us and ‘rescues’ us from ‘slavery’ to true ‘joy’ and ‘gladness’. We are invited today to trust, as the communion antiphon reminds us to ‘seek refuge in the Lord’, to ‘come to him’ with all our labours and burdens, to be refreshed, to experience true ‘gladness’ and ‘joy’. Yes, it is difficult to live in a ‘fallen world’, but we are called to be the light of the world, the salt of the earth, by loving God and our neighbour, by living out the beatitudes in our daily lives. In such a way, through the working of the Holy Spirit, we will share Jesus Christ’s message of true ‘joy’ and ‘gladness’ to the world around us, which our encounter with God in the liturgy allows us to do.
Prayer of the Faithful
For the servant minsters of the Church –that they may proclaim the gospel, especially in those countries where they are persecuted, when they speak on behalf of the underprivileged.
For those who serve in government – that they may be guided by God’s grace and wisdom to serve the people with humility and dedication.
For a greater acceptance of Christ’s gospel – that they may open to the workings of grace and come to accept the saving and life giving message of Jesus Christ.
Note: These hymns have been chosen from different sources.
Do not be afraid (CFE147, L972, LHON240)
He who would valiant be (CFE248, L862, LHON331)
How shall they hear the word of God (CFE269, LHON347)
If you would follow me (CFE299, L743)
The kingdom of God (CFE701, L821)
Key
CFE - Celebration Hymnal for Everyone
L – Laudate
LHON – Liturgical Hymns Old and New (Mayhew, 1999)
TCH – The Catholic Hymnbook (Gracewing)
Do you have questions about the liturgy and how we are called to participate in it? Explore how the Church councils, saints, and popes have answered this key question and many more.
Every movement of the Mass is rich in meaning but we can become over-familiar with it. Rediscover the Mass and explore how it relates to the Exodus story, where many of its rituals come from, and how it makes Jesus present to us today.
