Catholic Daily Reading + Reflection, 5 September 2021
Sunday September 5, 2021
TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY OF THE YEAR
Vestment: Green
Today’s Rosary: Glorious Mystery
Theme of the Sunday: JESUS CURES THE DEAF AND THE DUMB. The first reading uses the image of the deaf person to show us what God would one day do for his people. The Israelites had shut their ears and no longer listened to the Lord. But one day God was to cure their deafness. By describing the healing, the gospel is saying that the messianic times promised in the first reading have arrived. Ears are now opened, and tongues loosened in order to announce the Gospel. The second reading continues this theme, describing as it does a community deaf to the word of God and to the voice of the poor.
FIRST READING
“Then the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.”
A reading from the Book of Isaiah (Isaiah 35:4 -7a)
Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 146:6c-7.8-9a.9bc-10ab (R. 1b)
R/. Come, Lord, and save us.
Or: Alleluia.
It is the LORD who preserves fidelity forever,
Who does justice to those who are oppressed.
It is he who gives bread to the hungry,
The LORD who sets prisoners free. R.
It is the LORD who opens the eyes of the blind,
The LORD who raises up those who are bowed down.
It is the LORD who loves the just,
The LORD who protects the stranger. R.
The Lord upholds the orphan and the widow,
but thwarts the path of the wicked.
The Lord will reign forever,
the God of Sion from age to age. R.
SECOND READING
“Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be heirs of the kingdom?”
A reading from the Letter of Saint James (James 2: 1-5)
My brethren, show no partiality as you hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man with gold rings and in fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while you say to the poor man, “Stand there,” or, “Sit at my feet,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brethren. Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him?
The word of the Lord.
ALLELUIA Matthew 4:23
Alleluia. Jesus was preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, healing every disease and every infirmity among the people. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
“He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak. ”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 7:31-37)
At that time: Jesus returned from the region of Tyre, and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand upon him. And taking him aside from the multitude privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. And he charged them to tell no one; but the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well; he even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
The deaf hear and the dumb speak.
PRIEST: Christ our Saviour brought his message of healing and reconciliation to a world in darkness, with few voices to praise his Father’s goodness,. We ask the Lord to open our eyes and ears to hear and proclaim his saving gospel.
READER:
FOR ALL CHRISTIANS ENGAGED IN HEALING, (pause) let those who work for the physically and mentally handicapped, especially those in charge of the dumb and the hard of hearing, be strengthened by our prayers to continue their good work. (pause) Lord, in your mercy; heal us, we pray we pray Oh Lord.
FOR ALL STATE INSTITUTIONS WHICH LOOK AFTER THE HANDICAPPED, (pause) let them follow the highest principles of human compassion, and never look upon their patients as a burden on society, but as equal members with a dignity of their own. (pause) Lord, in your mercy; heal us, we pray we pray Oh Lord.
FOR THOSE AFFLICTED WITH DIFFICULTY OF SPEECH OR HEARING, pause let them come to the Lord for help and healing, and be grateful for the many other gifts which are theirs, especially the gift of faith. (pause) Lord, in your mercy; heal us, we pray we pray Oh Lord.
FOR A GREATER LOVE OF THE POOR AND DISTRESSED, (pause) let us develop a Christ-like love for them, and realize that we have as much to receive from them as we have to offer, in loving help. (pause) Lord, in your mercy; heal us, we pray we pray Oh Lord. We make our private petition in silence to God our loving Father.
PRIEST: Father, we make our prayers to you, knowing that you will give us all we ask to help and heal us. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Today’s Reflection
The man brought to Jesus was deaf and also had an impediment in his speech. It was only when his ears were opened by Jesus that he began to speak clearly. This is a reminder to us that our ability to speak depends on our capacity to hear. Hearing comes before speaking. This is also true in our dealings with others. Our capacity to hear someone is more important than what we speak to him or do for him. One of the ways we mediate God’s creative power to others is by listening attentively to them. That act of listening can be powerfully life-giving in its own right. When people are listened to in a non-judgmental way, they can begin to come alive in new ways. In the light of today’s readings, we might pray this Sunday for the grace to discern the ways in which the Lord is calling us to be channels of his creative power in our world today.
Today’s Saint and Quote: St Teresa of Calcutta – September 5th
– All of us must be saints in this world. Holiness is a duty for you and me. So let’s be saints and so give glory to the Father.
– The woman is at the heart of the home. Let us pray that we women realize the reason for our existence: to love and be loved and through this love become instruments of peace in the world.
– Unless we believe and see Jesus in the appearance of bread on the altar, we will not be able to see him in the distressing disguise of the poor.
– When you look at the crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you then. When you look at the Sacred Host, you understand how much Jesus loves you now.
– Try to put in the hearts of your children a love for home. Make them long to be with their families. So much sin could be avoided if our people really loved their homes.
– Joy is a net of love by which we catch souls.
Personal Devotional
Listen! I have given you authority, so that you can walk on snakes and scorpions and overcome all the power of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you. Luke 10:19
– I thank you God my Father, for revealing these things to little me.
– Help me to work for the things that endure, not the thing that perish. Help my unbelief.
-Do not allow me to labour in vain, but help me always to remember that unless the Lord builds a house, in vain does its labourers labour.
Let Us Pray
Help me Lord to constantly remain in your presence all the days of my life, realizing that in your presence, there is fullness of every good thing.
The Miraculous 54 Day Rosary Novena shall commence on Wednesday 8 September (Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary) to Sunday 31st October 2021
Traditionally a novena is nine days. Thus, Our Lady’s words to young Fortuna — “Make three novenas of the prayers of the Rosary in petition, and three novenas in thanksgiving.” The novena consists of five decades of the Rosary (one set of mysteries) each day for twenty-seven days in petition; then immediately five decades each day for an additional twenty-seven days in thanksgiving, regardless of whether or not the request has been granted yet. So began six novenas of Rosaries — which became known as the 54-day Rosary Novena.
To do the novena properly — one must pray the Rosary for 54 consecutive days, without missing a day, and must pray the particular Mystery indicated for that day following the correct sequence. That is, the first day of the novena always begins with the Joyful Mysteries (regardless of what day of the week the novena is started); the second day, the Sorrowful Mysteries are prayed; and the third day of the novena, the Glorious Mysteries are prayed.
People have asked over time about the Luminous Mysteries — this novena was given by Our Lady as noted above in 1884 and only allows for the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries.