"The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart." Psalm 19
Introduction to the Liturgy of the Day
We come together today to worship God, to receive our Lord in the Eucharist, to encounter him in each other, and to open ourselves to God’s continuing revelation in the word. Today’s Gospel is a difficult one, with severe warnings about sin and hell. The second reading isn’t much easier to take, warning of the corrosive effects of wealth and pleasure. Let us accept the challenge of taking a good long hard look at our lives and deciding what we need to cut from it in order to remain on the path to the kingdom.
Introduction to the Liturgy of the Word
Moses’ loyal lieutenant Joshua and Jesus’ beloved disciple John each protest that seemingly undeserving people are acting in the Lord’s name. Moses and Jesus both respond by basically saying that the spirit blows where it will and we humans cannot bottle it in. We also hear both James and Jesus warn us of the consequences of sin. May we heed their warnings as we take comfort in the Holy Spirit’s presence within us, guiding us in the right ways.
Reflections
Little did Moses realize that his plea that concludes today’s first reading—“Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!” (Numbers 11:29)—would eventually come to pass. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down upon all the apostles. From that point on, the Holy Spirit came down upon all who were bap tized and even those who wished to be baptized. The Holy Spirit was bestowed on each one of us when we ourselves were baptized, be it as babies, children, or adults. At times like this, may we be reminded that we have the power to perform mighty deeds in God’s name, for we have the Spirit within us.
Again and again in his letter, James commands Christians to put faith into action. Today we hear an explicit warning: “Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts” (James 5:4). For us to store up treasure for ourselves while those who do the work that allows us to have such treasure is sinful. Let us imitate the generosity of the Father, as we have seen in so many of Jesus’ parables, working toward a world where everyone from migrant workers who literally harvest our nation’s fields to those who cannot seem to break out of the cycle of poverty are compensated with a just wage.
In the Gospel, Jesus gives his disciples pause when they accuse a stranger of appropriating their ministry. He turns the tables on them, absolving anyone who does good in his name while condemning them if they have something in themselves that causes them to sin. Do not judge others’ motivations; look at your own. Then cut away those things that lead you to sin.
Question of the Week In what way am I like the one who stores up treasure? In what way am I like the one whose wages are withheld? What can I do from my position to properly reflect the lessons Jesus taught?
-from Pastoral Patterns
readings of the mass
LISTEN HEREto the Audio Recordings of the Readings of Sunday, September 29, 2024
SELECT HEREfor the Readings of Sunday, September 29, 2024
Offerings
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