RELIGION AND ART

MONDAY WEEK 14 IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C I WILL BETROTH YOU TO MYSELF AND  YOU WILL COME TO KNOW THE NAME OF THE LORD Readings Responsorial Psalm: The Lord is kind and full of compassion.  Gospel Matthew 9:18-26 Reflections 'Your faith has restored you to health' While Jesus was speaking, up came one of the officials, who bowed low in front of him and said, ‘My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and her life will be saved.’ Jesus rose and, with his disciples, followed him. Then from behind him came a woman, who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years, and she touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I can only touch his cloak I shall be well again.’ Jesus turned round and saw her; and he said to her, ‘Courage, my daughter, your faith has restored you to health.’ And from that moment the woman was well again.  When Jesus reached the official’s house and saw the flute-players, with the crowd making a commotion he said, ‘Ge...

14 SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME:  YOUR PEACE WILL REST ON HIM First Reading Isaiah 66:10-14 Towards Jerusalem I send flowing peace like river  Readings Rejoice, Jerusalem, be glad for her, all you who love her! Rejoice, rejoice for her,  all you who mourned her!  That you may be suckled, filled, from her consoling breast, that you may savour with delight her glorious breasts.   For thus says the Lord: Now towards her I send flowing peace, like a river, and like a stream in spate the glory of the nations.  At her breast will her nurslings be carried and fondled in her lap. Like a son comforted by his mother will I comfort you. And by Jerusalem you will be comforted. Lectures At the sight your heart will rejoice, and your bones flourish like the grass. To his servants the Lord will reveal his hand. Responsorial Psalm: Cry out with joy to God all the earth Second Reading  Galatians 6:14-18  The marks on my body are those of Jesus R...

SATURDAY WEEK 13 IN ORDINARY TIME First Reading Amos 9:11-15  I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel It is the Lord who speaks: ‘That day I will re-erect the tottering hut of David, make good the gaps in it, restore its ruins and rebuild it as it was in the days of old, so that they can conquer the remnant of Edom  and all the nations that belonged to me.’ Readings Lectures Reflections   It is the Lord who speaks, and he will carry this out. ‘The days are coming now – it is the Lord who speaks when harvest will follow directly after ploughing, the treading of grapes soon after sowing, when the mountains will run with new wine and the hills all flow with it. I mean to restore the fortunes of my people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them, plant vineyards and drink their wine, dig gardens and eat their produce. I will plant them in their own country, never to be rooted up again out of the land I have given them,...

FRIDAY WEEK 13 IN ORDINARY TIME First Reading Amos 8 :4-6,9-12  A famine not of bread, but of hearing the word of the Lord Listen to this, you who trample on the needy and try to suppress the poor people of the country, you who say, ‘When will New Moon be over so that we can sell our corn, and sabbath, so that we can market our wheat? Readings Lectures Reflections   Then by lowering the bushel, raising the shekel, by swindling and tampering with the scales,  we can buy up the poor for money, and the needy for a pair of sandals, and get a price even for the sweepings of the wheat.’ That day – it is the Lord who speaks – I will make the sun go down at noon, and darken the earth in broad daylight. I am going to turn your feasts into funerals, all your singing into lamentation; I will have your loins all in sackcloth, your heads all shaved.   I will make it a mourning like the mourning for an only son, as long as it lasts it will be like a day ...