Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

“Mustard Tree in the Mist”
Photographer and Date are UNKNOWN

Readings for Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Hebrews 10:32-39

Remember the days past when, after you had been enlightened,

you endured a great contest of suffering.

At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and affliction;

at other times you associated yourselves with those so treated.

You even joined in the sufferings of those in prison

and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property,

knowing that you had a better and lasting possession.

Therefore, do not throw away your confidence;

it will have great recompense.

You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised.

For, after just a brief moment,

he who is to come shall come;

he shall not delay.

But my just one shall live by faith,

and if he draws back I take no pleasure in him.

We are not among those who draw back and perish,

but among those who have faith and will possess life.

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Commentary on Heb 10:32-39

Hebrews continues instructing the faithful in the practical aspects of living the faith they have been given.  The author calls on the readers to recall a time of great trial following their baptism into Christ (enlightenment in this context refers to baptism rather than just hearing the Gospel).  The author refers to a persecution that was endured and now calls them to persevere.  The author quotes the Hebrew Scriptures to support the injunction to remain steadfast starting with a brief introduction from Isaiah 26:20 “after just a brief moment” and continues with support from Habakkuk 2:3-4. (Note the Pauline usage of Hebrews 2:4 in Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11.[4])

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 37:3-4, 5-6, 23-24, 39-40

R. (39a) The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

Trust in the LORD and do good,

that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.

Take delight in the LORD,

and he will grant you your heart’s requests.

R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

Commit to the LORD your way;

trust in him, and he will act.

He will make justice dawn for you like the light;

bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.

R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

By the LORD are the steps of a man made firm,

and he approves his way.

Though he fall, he does not lie prostrate,

for the hand of the LORD sustains him.

R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

The salvation of the just is from the LORD;

he is their refuge in time of distress.

And the LORD helps them and delivers them;

he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,

because they take refuge in him.

R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

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Commentary on Ps 37:3-4, 5-6, 23-24, 39-40

Psalm 37 is a lament containing the plea to be faithful to God and remain steadfast in the time of adversity. The psalmist sings that the faith of the people will bring them salvation and that the Lord is faithful and intercedes for them against the wicked.  Salvation comes from the Lord alone is the common message.

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Gospel: Mark 4:26-34

Jesus said to the crowds:

“This is how it is with the Kingdom of God;

it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land

and would sleep and rise night and day

and the seed would sprout and grow,

he knows not how.

Of its own accord the land yields fruit,

first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,

for the harvest has come.”

He said,

“To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,

or what parable can we use for it?

It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,

is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.

But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants

and puts forth large branches,

so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”

With many such parables

he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.

Without parables he did not speak to them,

but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

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Commentary on Mk 4:26-34

We are given two parables from the Gospel of St. Mark.  The first is unique to Mark’s Gospel and follows the parable of the Sower we were given earlier this week.  The mystery of the seed is analogous to Jesus’ own ministry which starts as a seed but grows to encompass the world.

The second parable, the parable of the Mustard Seed, echo’s the vision of the Kingdom of God described in Ezekiel 17:23; 31:6 with the image of the Kingdom of God providing a resting place for all as the giant cedars of Lebanon do for the birds.

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Reflection:

If we look to the leaders of the Church to be responsible for evangelizing the world and excuse ourselves because “it’s not our job and we’re too busy”, we have missed the point of the Lord completely.  If that was our attitude, when the word of God first came to us we should have covered our ears and started mumbling nonsense words like a child.  Everyone who hears the word of God and listens to it is handed grace which, to have its potential realized, must be passed on.

Does that mean that we are called to stand on street corners calling out to passersby to “repent and turn to the Gospel”?  In most cases, no (there are, however, some who feel compelled to do just that).  We are, however, required to live our faith as best we can.  That means applying the values we profess to believe in.  Minimally it means loving God and neighbor, and even that is difficult at times for many.

The parables of the mustard seed and the sower are of critical importance to us.  They tell us that we do not come to the faith simply to have it give us comfort or consolation (although it does).  The parables tell us that the treasure contained in the “Word” must not be taken to our hearts like a comfort pillow and hugged closely never to be released (although at times we certainly need to treat our faith just that way). 

Jesus makes it clear that what we are given is to be shared.  Our very lives are a gift from God, how can we be so selfish as to think only that this word of salvation should be kept like some secret.  No, our actions, all of our actions, should proclaim God’s praise.  And when we complete our day’s tasks and reflect back on what we have accomplished we must ask if what we did accomplished what God would have intended.

As we have said before – the beauty of the parables of the sower and the mustard seed is that we are both the seed and the sower.  These images compel us move forward with our faith, not passively accept what God sends to us.  We are called to be active participants in God’s Kingdom on earth, there will be time enough for rest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Pax

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[1] ALTRE

[2] The picture is “Mustard Tree in the Mist” Photographer and Date are UNKNOWN

[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL).  This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

[4] See NAB footnote on Hebrews 10:37-38

Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest

“St. John Bosco”
Artist and Date were not sited

(Thursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time)

Alternate Proper for the Memorial of St. John Bosco

Readings for Thursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Hebrews 10:19-25

Brothers and sisters:

Since through the Blood of Jesus

we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary

by the new and living way he opened for us through the veil,

that is, his flesh,

and since we have “a great priest over the house of God,”

let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust,

with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience

and our bodies washed in pure water.

Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope,

for he who made the promise is trustworthy.

We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works.

We should not stay away from our assembly,

as is the custom of some, but encourage one another,

and this all the more as you see the day drawing near.

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Commentary on Heb 10:19-25

This selection begins a discourse on the practical consequences for the Christian that flow from the earlier reflection on the High Priesthood of Jesus and the sacrifice the Lord makes contrasted with the levitical sacrifices of the Hebrew Priests.  In Christ the faithful have direct access to God, differentiating from the barrier veils that separate the Jews from the sanctuary.  Christ is the eternal High Priest “a great priest over the house of God.”

The Christian is enjoined to approach the Lord with sincerity of faith having been made a new creation in their Baptism “hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience”. The faithful are encouraged to be steadfast in hope and unified, encouraging each other to “love and good works”. There is an urgent tone to this exhortation as reference is made to the return of Christ in the parousia (“and this all the more as you see the day drawing near” see also 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6

R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;

the world and those who dwell in it.

For he founded it upon the seas

and established it upon the rivers.

R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?

or who may stand in his holy place?

He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,

who desires not what is vain.

R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,

a reward from God his savior.

Such is the race that seeks for him,

that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.

R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

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Commentary on Ps 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6

This is part of a hymn of entrance, sung as the Arc of the Covenant was brought into the Temple followed by the faithful. Once again in this song we find a reference borrowed by St. John’s Revelation (Revelations 14:5) and an image created in the Letter to the Hebrews (10:22) . Who are the ones allowed full access to God?

The psalm selection focuses on the character of the one who worthily seeks God and the one who is worthy to come into God’s kingdom and stand before him. We are answered; “He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain.”

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Gospel: Mark 4:21-25

Jesus said to his disciples,

“Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket

or under a bed,

and not to be placed on a lampstand?

For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible;

nothing is secret except to come to light.

Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.”

He also told them, “Take care what you hear.

The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you,

and still more will be given to you.

To the one who has, more will be given;

from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

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Commentary on Mk 4:21-25

Jesus continues his private talk with his disciples, explaining the parables he had used when speaking to the crowds from the boat. The description of the lamp placed high so that all can benefit from the light continues the description of the seed that fell on fertile ground in the parable of the “Sower.” It therefore takes the character of a description of the duties of those who hear the word and have it take root in them.

The second part of the reading speaks of “The measure”. Again this refers to his disciples who are given the gift of the word. In them the word will grow. The Lord understands that one of their number will fall “…from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."

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Homily:

We picture the scene once more. Jesus is sitting on the shore with his disciples after having spent much of the day teaching from a boat so the people could hear. His disciples are gathered around him, listening intently as the Lord explains the parts of his parables that were difficult for them to understand. He had used the parable of the “Sower” and had just finished his explanation that the seed that fell on fertile ground represented those who heard his word and had it take root in them. We pray we are among that number, don’t we.

He continues his explanation now, telling his disciples that the “Word” they are given is not private or secret knowledge. He has not given it to them so they alone can find peace and happiness in their own salvation. No, he asks them the rhetorical question; "Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand?” Their duty is to take their understanding into the world – to give it away. There is a resonance in this action. The more they give away their knowledge of the Kingdom of God, the love the father has for us, the greater that knowledge and understanding grows in them. He tells them to listen closely “Take care what you hear.” Each word from the Lord’s lips is precious, it carries life and hope.

Give it away, he tells them, like light from the lamp, let it illuminate all dark places. And the wonder of it, the light will be reflected back and grow and become brighter until it lights up the whole world. And even as he tells them how they will be filled up, perhaps his eyes rest ever so briefly on Judas Iscariot, the Zealot, and he is reminded that not all who hear will understand and even the little wisdom that is imparted will be taken away.

For us, we who have heard the word of love poured out from the Father through his Son, the injunction of Jesus comes to us clearly. We, like his disciples, have been given the gift of faith. Our faith is not a private thing. It is not a secret to be kept or a gift to be hidden. It is for the world, this Word we are given. Today we are reminded once more that we must live that word and speak that word so that all who hear us are bathed in the light of it. This is our great mission and we are also reminded that as we give away what we have, it will come back to us magnified and fill us up as well.

Pax

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[1] ALTRE

[2] The picture today is “St. John Bosco” Artist and Date were not sited

[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL).  This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

"Sower with Setting Sun"
by Vincent Van Gogh, 1888

Readings for Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Hebrews 10:11-18

Every priest stands daily at his ministry,

offering frequently those same sacrifices

that can never take away sins.

But this one offered one sacrifice for sins,

and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;

now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool.

For by one offering he has made perfect forever

those who are being consecrated.

The Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying:

“This is the covenant I will establish with them

after those days, says the Lord:

‘I will put my laws in their hearts,

and I will write them upon their minds,’”

he also says:

“Their sins and their evildoing

I will remember no more.”

Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.

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Commentary on Heb 10:11-18

We begin today with a statement of how the levitcal priesthood’s sacrifices for the remittance of sin is ineffective compared to the sacrifice of Jesus whose one sacrifice released us for all time.  Then Hebrews again hammers the New Covenant home to us.  The author quotes, first Psalm 110 (Psalm 110:1) and then  the book of the Prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31-34).  He takes the prophecy of the New Covenant and shows how it is fulfilled in Christ.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 110:1, 2, 3, 4

R. (4b) You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand

till I make your enemies your footstool.”

R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:

“Rule in the midst of your enemies.”

R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

“Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;

before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you.”

R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:

“You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”

R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

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Commentary on Ps 110:1, 2, 3, 4

Psalm 110 is one of the Royal Psalms. In these strophes we find the reference point used in the Hebrews 5:1-10. The psalmist, David, reflects upon his call as king to serve the people. The final verse specifically mentions the High Priest Melchizedek. Melchizedek was the ancient king of Salem (Jerusalem) who blessed Abraham (Genesis 14:18-20); like other kings of the time he performed priestly functions.

Psalm 110 thanks God for earthly authority, recognizing that it is only through His strength that authority is exercised. Using Melchizedek as an arch example, he was a secular king in the time of Abraham who ruled on the spiritual side as well. Though he was not of the Hebrew race, he was none the less chosen by God to be priest not of the line of Aaron. Since the ancient text refer neither to his lineage nor his death, his office is seen as eternal (“You are a priest forever…”)

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Gospel: Mark 4:1-20

On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea.

A very large crowd gathered around him

so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.

And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.

And he taught them at length in parables,

and in the course of his instruction he said to them,

“Hear this!  A sower went out to sow.

And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,

and the birds came and ate it up.

Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.

It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.

And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. 

Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it

and it produced no grain.

And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.

It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”

And when he was alone,

those present along with the Twelve

questioned him about the parables.

He answered them,

“The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you.

But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that

they may look and see but not perceive,

and hear and listen but not understand,

in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.”

Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable?

Then how will you understand any of the parables?

The sower sows the word.

These are the ones on the path where the word is sown.

As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once

and takes away the word sown in them.

And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who,

when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy.

But they have no roots; they last only for a time.

Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,

they quickly fall away.

Those sown among thorns are another sort.

They are the people who hear the word,

but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches,

and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word,

and it bears no fruit.

But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it

and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

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Commentary on Mk 4:1-20

St. Mark’s Gospel begins a section of teachings on the Kingdom of God through parables.  We note that Jesus is teaching from a boat which would provide a natural amphitheater with the ground sloping to the shore.  Here the Lord presents the parable of the “Sower”.  As in St. Matthew’s Gospel he follows the unvarnished parable with a deeper explanation to the Disciples.

In the Parable of the Sower from Mark’s Gospel, Jesus uses the rich analogy of the seed (of faith given in Baptism) to show the various courses of faith in human endeavor.  Because this selection gives not only the parable but the Lord’s explanation of its meaning the only historical note we will make is that, at that point in history in that region, when planting a field, the seed was sown first and then the field was plowed. 

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Reflection:

The Parable of the Sower is a powerful one.  It reminds us that we are both the Sower/Harvester and the seed in the parable.  Initially the sower was Jesus and before him to a lesser extent the Prophets of the Old Testament.  They brought us the word of God and much of what they said fell on deaf ears.  That would be, according to the parable’s legend the seed that fell on the “path “.  It had no chance to bear fruit because it was never planted. Similar fates awaited the seed that landed on “rocky ground” and among the “thorns”, while they germinated the plants never reached maturity.

The Sower’s task was handed on.  It was handed from the Apostles who received it from Jesus to the Saints and especially the Doctors of the Church. The task came down through all those millennia to us, the Disciples of Christ in this age.  And here is where the analogy gets interesting.  Today if we looked at the same agrarian analogy we would wonder why in those early days so much was wasted.  Today, mechanical planters multitask to plow the fields, plant the grain, and then cover it so the birds cannot get it.  No waste and the labor of a single person can produce yields that far exceed anything the farmers of Jesus’ day could have expected.

The sowers of the word today have similar automated tools that can help spread the word.  But unlike the agricultural counterpart, more is wasted, not less.  In the end words are cheap.  Words that are not backed by action are not only cheap but they could be analogized with sterile seed.  As sowers we must first be the seeds that fall on fertile ground and grow to maturity.  We must make sure our roots go deep to withstand the harsh conditions that will be faced.  We must insure that that stalk of grain we hope will provide the next generation of grain is well nourished with food and water that is Word and Sacrament.

Pax

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[1] The picture today is "Sower with Setting Sun" by Vincent Van Gogh, 1888

[2] ALTRE

[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL).  This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

“Mary Seeks Her Son”
by Max Fürst, c. 1890

Readings for Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Hebrews 10:1-10

Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come,

and not the very image of them, it can never make perfect

those who come to worship by the same sacrifices

that they offer continually each year.

Otherwise, would not the sacrifices have ceased to be offered,

since the worshipers, once cleansed, would no longer

have had any consciousness of sins?

But in those sacrifices there is only a yearly remembrance of sins,

for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats

take away sins.

For this reason, when he came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,

but a body you prepared for me;

in burnt offerings and sin offerings you took no delight.

Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll,

Behold, I come to do your will, O God.’”

First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings,

burnt offerings and sin offerings,

you neither desired nor delighted in.”

These are offered according to the law.

Then he says, “Behold, I come to do your will.”

He takes away the first to establish the second.

By this “will,” we have been consecrated

through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.

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Commentary on Heb 10:1-10

The author (and we are not sure if it is Paul) continues his apologetic by comparing the Law to the fulfillment of the Law in Christ.  In vs. 5-7 a passage from Psalm 40:7-9 is placed in the mouth of the Son at his incarnation. This again refutes the need of Christians to follow the Hebrew Law of Sin offerings (or guilt offerings see Leviticus 5:14-19) since the Lord offered his own body “once for all”.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 40:2 and 4ab, 7-8a, 10, 11

R. (8a and 9a) Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.

I have waited, waited for the LORD,

and he stooped toward me.

And he put a new song into my mouth,

a hymn to our God.

R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.

Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,

but ears open to obedience you gave me.

Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;

then said I, “Behold I come.”

R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.

I announced your justice in the vast assembly;

I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.

R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.

Your justice I kept not hid within my heart;

your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of;

I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth

in the vast assembly.

R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.

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Commentary on Ps 40:2 and 4ab, 7-8a, 10, 11

We are given, in support of the reading from Hebrews, the very Psalm that was quoted in today’s selection, Hebrews 10:5-7  (although the translation quoted in Hebrews is from the Septuagint translation).  The intent and action God wants from us is not burnt offerings but our own faithfulness.

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Gospel: Mark 3:31-35

His (Jesus’) mother and brothers arrived.

Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus 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.”

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Commentary on Mk 3:31-35

This passage, while affirming our own adoption as brothers and sisters in Christ, does cause some confusion among those who take scripture at face value without understanding the culture of the time.  “The first part of this reading from St. Mark’s Gospel is somewhat controversial in that many of the Protestant and Evangelical apologists take the term “and his brothers” to mean his familial or biological brothers. The Church teaches that Mary bore only one child – Jesus. Responding to this scripture, Catholic scripture scholars teach that “…in Semitic usage, the terms "brother," "sister" are applied not only to children of the same parents, but to nephews, nieces, cousins, half-brothers, and half-sisters; cf Genesis 14:16; Genesis 29:15; Leviticus 10:4.”[4]

Another possible explanation, although it comes from an apocryphal source from the 2nd or 3rd centuries AD, is that the Lord’s foster father, St. Joseph, had been previously married (and widowed).  According to “The History of Joseph the Carpenter” from this first marriage - [2.] “… he begot for himself sons and daughters, four sons, namely, and two daughters. Now these are their names— Judas, Justus, James, and Simon. The names of the two daughters were Assia and Lydia.” These would have been the half-brothers and sisters of the Lord.

Because of this, when Mary comes looking for Jesus in this selection, she is, as would be expected, joined by members of the extended family.  Jesus extends the family even further though his adoption of those who, as those “seated in the circle” who listen to his word and believe.

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Reflection:

Today we can pause and thank God for his great gift that brought us into a new relationship with him.  If Christ had not come as the perfect offering for our sins, we would still be obliged to offer sacrifices as our Hebrew predecessors did.  We would be one step removed from the relationship we have in Christ who at once saved us and adopted us as children of God; “For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

The sense of adoption contrasted with the former relationship of the Hebrew people can be analogized by examining the relationship between ourselves and family and ourselves and a guest.  While we treat a guest with courtesy and respect, we do not have the same love for the guest as we would for our close family member.

A guest would be welcomed to our home.  A family member lives with us sharing not just our food, but all that we have.  A guest comes and stays a while and leaves, but a family member is with us and shares our lives with us, the good and the bad.  A guest does not share our pain or our joy to the extent a member of our own family does.  The guest is held at arm’s length, never quite achieving that place of familial intimacy that is part of the family’s members.

Jesus changed that relationship for us.  He came making God, His Father, our Father.  He brought not a guest to the table but a bride.  He himself, out of his great love for us provided the sacrificial meal.  He did this so we would have the intimate access to him and through that access find life eternal with the Father.

Because of this, we should take as our prayer today the family prayer of the Church, the Lord’s Prayer.  As we say; “Our Father…”, let us embrace the Father who has adopted us, and through his great mercy has given us life with him.

Pax.

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[1] ALTRE

[2] The picture used is “Mary Seeks Her Son” by Max Fürst, c. 1890

[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL).  This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

[4] From the reference note on Mark 6; 3 in the NAB