Relentless Pursuit

Today’s gospel can be summed up in three little letters: “ing”. We need to be persistent in prayer, in other words we need to keep pray-ING, keep knock-ING, keep seek-ING, keep ask-ING. These spiritual practices must be practiced daily, regularly, and consistently. They are not one-time events or situational habits. We need to keep do-INGthem and in our persistence, God will answer. When we have a well-developed relationship with God, as a result of our consistent pray-ING, then our eyes will be opened to all the good, lovely, wonderful, and abundant gifts that He lavishly gives us every day. Prayer keeps our grace radar finely tuned and calibrated. Grace radar allows us to see the fingerprints of God on all the surfaces of life. Wow. 

Jesus has fastidiously taught us about the importance of prayer this week and I am so grateful that His pursuit of me (us) is relentless, persistent, and constant. I want my pursuit of Him to be the same. Deep friendships need to be nurtured and poured over; they need quality time, laughter, authenticity, depth, and lots of “INGs” (trusting, forgiving, loving, calling, writing, being with, giving, laughing, crying, sighing, etc.) in order to thrive. When we commit to all of these relationship necessities in our pursuit of Jesus, “If he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence…Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; know and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” These are the promises of God and they are true. Jesus gives us permission to nag God for what we need. Relentless pursuit can be a two-way street if we keep “ING” the way Jesus teaches us in today’s gospel. It is well with my soul.

Reading 1 MAL 3:13-20B

You have defied me in word, says the LORD,
yet you ask, "What have we spoken against you?"
You have said, "It is vain to serve God,
and what do we profit by keeping his command,
And going about in penitential dress
in awe of the LORD of hosts?
Rather must we call the proud blessed;
for indeed evildoers prosper,
and even tempt God with impunity."
Then they who fear the LORD spoke with one another,
and the LORD listened attentively;
And a record book was written before him
of those who fear the LORD and trust in his name.
And they shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts,
my own special possession, on the day I take action.
And I will have compassion on them,
as a man has compassion on his son who serves him.
Then you will again see the distinction
between the just and the wicked;
Between the one who serves God,
and the one who does not serve him.
For lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven,
when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble,
And the day that is coming will set them on fire,
leaving them neither root nor branch,
says the LORD of hosts.
But for you who fear my name, there will arise
the sun of justice with its healing rays.

Responsorial Psalm PS 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6

R.(Ps 40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Alleluia SEE ACTS 16:14B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Open your hearts, O Lord,
to listen to the words of your Son.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 11:5-13

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Suppose one of you has a friend
to whom he goes at midnight and says,
'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey
and I have nothing to offer him,'
and he says in reply from within,
'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked
and my children and I are already in bed.
I cannot get up to give you anything.'
I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves
because of their friendship,
he will get up to give him whatever he needs
because of his persistence.

"And I tell you, ask and you will receive;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives;
and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
What father  among you would hand his son a snake
when he asks for a fish?
Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?
If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit

to those who ask him?"   

A Certain Place

My reflection today is going to be very simple. “Jesus was praying in a certain place.” I immediately wanted to go to that certain place. My friends just came back from the Holy Land. They stayed on the Sea of Galilee and expressed that His presence was all over the place, in the ground beneath their feet, in the sunrises, in the sounds of the air, in the views, in the rocks, and in the atmosphere. I’ve always heard that when you visit the “places” where Jesus stood and taught and healed, you come to know Him in an even deeper way. I immediately wanted to go to that certain place where Jesus liked to pray. It obviously made an impression on His friends. I can picture the scene of the Apostles just waking up one morning and looking out as Jesus sits in prayer. Perhaps He had been there since before dawn, perhaps His hands were raised, perhaps He was walking along the shore, perhaps He had a perfect cup of coffee in His hand (obviously, Jesus invented coffee), perhaps He was lying down on the banks of the sea with His hands behind His head looking up at the sky. Whatever the scene, the Apostles wanted what He had and so they simply asked Him to teach them. What a simple and powerful lesson in approaching Jesus with our desires? Find Him, watch Him, know Him, and ask Him to show us how. Seems easy enough, but it requires us to be in touch with the desires of our hearts that can sometimes become buried beneath the desires of the world. 

I love that Jesus had a “certain place.” Do you have a certain place where you pray? It seems that having a designated sacred space was a necessary part of Jesus’ prayer life. Having a “certain place” allows us to intentionally soak in His presence and one thing I’ve learned is that intentionality is key in all relationships, but most especially in aligning our will with God’s. Mary, in yesterday’s gospel, had a certain place at the feet of Jesus and her intentionality was clear…be in His presence. I encourage us to go to a certain place today where the certainty of love resides waiting to give us what He has. It is well with my soul.  

Reading 1 JON 4:1-11

Jonah was greatly displeased
and became angry that God did not carry out the evil
he threatened against Nineveh.
He prayed, “I beseech you, LORD,
is not this what I said while I was still in my own country?
This is why I fled at first to Tarshish.
I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God,
slow to anger, rich in clemency, loath to punish.
And now, LORD, please take my life from me;
for it is better for me to die than to live.”
But the LORD asked, “Have you reason to be angry?”

Jonah then left the city for a place to the east of it,
where he built himself a hut and waited under it in the shade,
to see what would happen to the city.
And when the LORD God provided a gourd plant
that grew up over Jonah’s head,
giving shade that relieved him of any discomfort,
Jonah was very happy over the plant.
But the next morning at dawn
God sent a worm that attacked the plant,
so that it withered.
And when the sun arose, God sent a burning east wind;
and the sun beat upon Jonah’s head till he became faint.
Then Jonah asked for death, saying,
“I would be better off dead than alive.”

But God said to Jonah,
“Have you reason to be angry over the plant?”
“I have reason to be angry,” Jonah answered, “angry enough to die.”
Then the LORD said,
“You are concerned over the plant which cost you no labor
and which you did not raise;
it came up in one night and in one night it perished.
And should I not be concerned over Nineveh, the great city,
in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons
who cannot distinguish their right hand from their left,
not to mention the many cattle?”

Responsorial Psalm PS 86:3-4, 5-6, 9-10

R.(15) Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for to you I call all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
R. Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
R. Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
All the nations you have made shall come
and worship you, O Lord,
and glorify your name.
For you are great, and you do wondrous deeds;
you alone are God.
R. Lord, you are merciful and gracious.

Alleluia ROM 8:15BC

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You have received a spirit of adoption as sons
through which we cry: Abba! Father!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 11:1-4

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished,
one of his disciples said to him,
"Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples."
He said to them, "When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name,
your Kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test."

Soak

The message in today’s gospel is as simple as it gets. Simple does not mean easy. Simple does not mean it comes naturally. Simple does not mean automatic. Simple does not mean that we don’t have to work at it. “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.” Anxiety has become a major theme/symptom for so many of us especially here in America. We are bombarded with 8 million things with which to worry and that is just on the evening news let alone the actual happenings of our daily lives. I know people of all ages beginning with the very young to the very old that suffer from anxiety. Martha is a character that we can all relate to and probably understand more than we’d like to admit. She is a goals-oriented, hard-working, driven, task-centered woman that gets things done, and she is stressed out people! 

Here’s the simple message: Mary is not stressed out because she is soaking in the presence of Christ! Shall I say it again? Mary is not stressed out because she is soaking in the presence of Christ! That’s it. She is simply soaking in Jesus through adoration, in quietly listening to him talk, in sitting at his feet, in just being near him. Guess what? We can begin every single day choosing this better portion. It is my deep hunch that when we choose this better portion and practice it until it comes as naturally as being stressed out, then our productivity in work, home, and extracurriculars will also increase. Our Mary time will increase our Martha-ness minus the anxiety and worry. How great is that? Not that productivity should be the goal, just that when Jesus is our first priority, the rest of our lives fall into their proper order as well. Mary teaches us about piety today and it is not some complicated theological, study-driven routine; sit at His feet and listen. Sit at His feet and gaze. Sit at His feet and let Him love you. Sit at His feet before you do anything else. Sit at His feet and soak in the peace that surpasses all understanding. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1JON 3:1-10

The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: 
"Set out for the great city of Nineveh,
and announce to it the message that I will tell you."
So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh,
according to the LORD's bidding.
Now Nineveh was an enormously large city;
it took three days to go through it.
Jonah began his journey through the city,
and had gone but a single day's walk announcing,
"Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,"
when the people of Nineveh believed God;
they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, 
put on sackcloth.

When the news reached the king of Nineveh,
he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe,
covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes.
Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh,
by decree of the king and his nobles:
"Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep,
shall taste anything;
they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water. 
Man and beast shall be covered with sackcloth 
and call loudly to God;
every man shall turn from his evil way
and from the violence he has in hand.
Who knows, God may relent and forgive, 
and withhold his blazing wrath,
so that we shall not perish."
When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way,
he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them;
he did not carry it out.

Responsorial Psalm PS 130:1B-2, 3-4AB, 7-8

R.(3) If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
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. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
LORD, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
that you may be revered.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
Let Israel wait for the LORD,
For with the LORD is kindness
and with him is plenteous redemption;
And he will redeem Israel
from all their iniquities.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?

Alleluia LK 11:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are those who hear the word of God
and observe it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 10:38-42

Jesus entered a village 
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. 
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? 
Tell her to help me.” 
The Lord said to her in reply,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. 
There is need of only one thing. 
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her.”

Feast of St. Francis

For the Feast of St. Francis, I thought I would share a couple of poems. Francis wanted to be an instrument of God's peace, that shalom I wrote about yesterday, and the first poem is about the kind of instrument I'd like to be. Perhaps you can meditate on the ways God uses you as an instrument or how you'd also like to be used. The second poem was written in Assisi at St. Clare's convent, San Damiano, which is the sight where Francis first heard the voice of God speak to him through the crucifix hanging in a small chapel. He wrote his Canticle the Creatures here, and his life was changed forever by these words, "Francis, go and repair my house which, as you see, is falling into ruin.” Francis’ love for God was radical, reckless, and steeped in contemplation. May we be echoes of God’s shalom today. 

I Am Your Instrument

By Jennifer Lyn

            God, you created all  GOOD  things,

                                                all LOVELY  things,

                                                            all HARMONIOUS  things,

                                                                        and all things that bring  JOY  to people.

I give myself to you so that with my life, you would also bring 

GOOD   -  LOVELY   -   HARMONIOUS   -  and   JOYFUL

                                                                                                fruits into the world.

Play WHATEVER music you see fit through me 

and help me to succumb with FINESSE ,  RESPECT ,  and PASSION. 

May I always keep my instrument 

FINELY – TUNED , POLISHED, and READY  to go 

and let me never keep it just for display but to be used by you. 

I’ll play ANY tune you’d like, however, 

I am not the best RAPPER

                                                 so maybe we can leave the

                                                                        RAPPING  to someone else,   

                                                                     BUT,

        I’ll totally do it if you want!!

I pray to be 

LIGHT – HEARTED

POOR  IN  SPIRIT 

PEACEMAKING , and 

THE BEST VERSION  OF  MYSELF  

so that all will know that  I BELONG to you. 

You are a MASTER musician and I  CONSECRATE  my life as your 

FAITHFUL  INSTRUMENT,

       OPEN   and   AVAILABLE 

          to let you do your thing in me. 

So  BREATHE  or  STRUM  or  PICK  or even  KICK 

your melody as loud or as soft as you like. 

I am yours. Sing your song in me.  Amen.

Canticle Of San Damiano

By Jennifer Lyn

Silver olive trees coat the slopes with a peaceful easy feeling.

Orange-breasted birds (from a cartoon) hop toward me…

Maybe they think I am the enchanted Princess they have been waiting for 

to tie bows in my hair while they sing!

A flock of sparrows just flew by and the sound was like 

a purring cat gliding through a cloud. 

The cloud hugs the horizon just sitting on the tops of trees 

so that my view is not hidden, 

but so I won’t forget that it is indeed fall. 

Dew drops and rain sparkles dress every blade and leaf and even 

the Aurora Borealis has nothing 

on the lights and colors of their dewy display. 

The air is tranquil and the soft haze sits just so these silhouettes of grace 

have the perfect background to look their very best 

as I sketch them with words. 

Green and orange covered rooftops lie perfectly still 

providing a resting place for 

birds and moss and sun and rain and years of legends untold. 

Nuns and friars walk in prayer, silent and joyful, because they live here.

I soak it all in and pour it out onto this page, 

humble and meek is my attempt, but it is well with my soul. 

Shalom Be With You

I recently learned a very beautiful and richer meaning for the Jewish word for peace, “Shalom.” Shalom destroys the authority that binds to chaos. Shalom is wholeness, wellness, safety, happiness, favor, victory, tranquility, and restfulness. Shalom as a verb is to restore or replace what is needed to be whole or complete. These definitions of shalom give today’s gospel a new depth. Today’s gospel talks about traveling in pairs to prepare the way for Jesus and that there would be many trials, set backs, failures, unreceptive people, and challenges. The harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few, and we laborers need to only come from a place of shalom in all that we do. We need to bring shalom to every person, situation, and household. I’ve recently heard that shalom is not the absence of something such as conflict, but shalom is the presence of Someone: Jesus (insert all the definitions of shalom above here: Jesus is wholeness, wellness, victory, etc. Jesus destroys the authority that binds to chaos. Jesus restores what is needed to be whole or complete.). 

Jesus gives us a realistic glimpse into being a follower of The Way. Jesus does not send us out unequipped or alone. He does not want us to be caught off guard or surprised by the wolves so He lovingly tells us to be the lambs. Lambs were the animals used as sacrifices of thanksgiving, worship, and repentance. They were offerings of shalom. On the Camino de Santiago there is a pilgrim saying, “the Camino always provides”. Today’s gospel is like a Tripadvisor post that gives the traveler some tips to navigate The Way. Jesus does not want us to be shaken or afraid of the inevitable trials that come with the territory. He wants us to know about them and to trust anyway because “the Kingdom of God is at hand.” God always provides. When our shalom (Jesus) is not received, we have permission to shake the chaos off of shoes/feet (our feet are the source of shalom or standing on the Word as armor in Ephesians 6:10-18) and simply move on. 

So, as we go out into the midst of wolves today, let’s remember that shalom resides within each of us and it destroys the authority that binds us to chaos. God will provide all that is necessary to bring shalom into every encounter, which is our MISSION. “The Kingdom of God is at hand” and we have the beautiful privilege to walk with one another announcing that from the shalom that resides in each one of us. Shalom be with you. It is shalom with my soul. 

Reading 1 NEH 8:1-4A, 5-6, 7B-12

The whole people gathered as one in the open space before the Water Gate,
and they called upon Ezra the scribe
to bring forth the book of the law of Moses
which the LORD prescribed for Israel.
On the first day of the seventh month, therefore,
Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly,
which consisted of men, women,
and those children old enough to understand.
Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate,
he read out of the book from daybreak until midday,
in the presence of the men, the women,
and those children old enough to understand;
and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law.
Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform
that had been made for the occasion.
He opened the scroll
so that all the people might see it
(for he was standing higher up than any of the people);
and, as he opened it, all the people rose.
Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God,
and all the people, their hands raised high, answered,
"Amen, amen!"
Then they bowed down and prostrated themselves before the LORD,
their faces to the ground.
As the people remained in their places,
Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God,
interpreting it so that all could understand what was read.
Then Nehemiah, that is, His Excellency, and Ezra the priest-scribe
and the Levites who were instructing the people
said to all the people:
"Today is holy to the LORD your God.
Do not be sad, and do not weep"–
for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.
He said further:  "Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks,
and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared;
for today is holy to our LORD.
Do not be saddened this day,
for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!"
And the Levites quieted all the people, saying,
"Hush, for today is holy, and you must not be saddened."
Then all the people went to eat and drink,
to distribute portions, and to celebrate with great joy,
for they understood the words that had been expounded to them.

Responsorial Psalm PS 19:8, 9, 10, 11

R. (9ab) The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye;
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

Alleluia MK 1:15

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe in the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 10:1-12

Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter, first say,
'Peace to this household.'
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves his payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'
Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,
go out into the streets and say,
'The dust of your town that clings to our feet,
even that we shake off against you.'
Yet know this: the Kingdom of God is at hand.
I tell you,
it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town."

Poignant Nuggets

Today’s gospel is one that I really haven’t spent too much time with, but I did find some poignant nuggets to chew on. 

·     Days to be taken up fulfilled

·     Resolutely determined to journey

·     Sent messengers ahead to prepare His reception

·     They would not welcome Him

·     “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”

·     Jesus turned and rebuked them

·     They journeyed to another village

When it was time and all His preaching, teaching, and healing were accomplished, Jesus resolutely decided to journey toward the Father’s ultimate love. The word “season” has become quite popular in spiritual speak to remind us that everything in this world is cyclical and timed and has a rhythm and a beginning and an end. Jesus’ time in this world was coming to an end and so He was resolutely determined to do the Father’s will by laying down His life so that He could be raised from the dead and destroy all slavery forever. He sent messengers ahead to get things ready for His arrival in Samaria. The Samaritans rejected Him because He was simply passing through so they didn’t feel the need to host Him. Those messengers sent ahead to ready us for His arrival and His coming into our lives have visited us, and we have the option to welcome Him or to reject Him. He wants to dwell in us, with us, and for us and we can choose to host Him or not. When we do host Him, He stays, and then we get to be those messengers sent ahead to prepare others for His arrival and their reception of Him. There will always be those zealous lovers of Jesus that want to “call down fire from heaven to consume” anybody that disses Him, however, Jesus rebukes that kind of display and He simply will not go where He is not welcome. He will never force Himself onto anyone and that is why we need to be excellent stewards of His presence. People will welcome Him if we persevere in love, kindness, mercy, joy, peace, and forgiveness. 

Let’s be resolutely determined to journey toward love while carrying the presence of Jesus with great care. Jesus can handle rejection and does not need us to go spouting off on the people He loves so dearly even if they do not know it yet. We simply move on with Him to the next village carrying His presence with great care. Jesus knows what He’s doing and we get to be the messengers that prepare the way for others to receive Him. How cool is that? It is well with my soul. 

Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 456

Reading 1 ZEC 8:20-23

Thus says the LORD of hosts:
There shall yet come peoples,
the inhabitants of many cities;
and the inhabitants of one city shall approach those of another,
and say, "Come! let us go to implore the favor of the LORD";
and, "I too will go to seek the LORD."
Many peoples and strong nations shall come
to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem
and to implore the favor of the LORD.
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
In those days ten men of every nationality, 
speaking different tongues, shall take hold,
yes, take hold of every Jew by the edge of his garment and say,

"Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."

Responsorial Psalm PS 87:1B-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. (Zec 8:23) God is with us.
His foundation upon the holy mountains
the LORD loves:
The gates of Zion,
more than any dwelling of Jacob.
Glorious things are said of you,
O city of God!
R. God is with us.
I tell of Egypt and Babylon
among those that know the LORD;
Of Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia:
“This man was born there.”
And of Zion they shall say:
 “One and all were born in her;
And he who has established her
is the Most High LORD.”
R. God is with us.
They shall note, when the peoples are enrolled:
“This man was born there.”
And all shall sing, in their festive dance:
“My home is within you.”
 R. God is with us.

AlleluiaMK 10:45

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 9:51-56

When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?”
Jesus turned and rebuked them,
and they journeyed to another village.