RELIGION AND ART

FRIDAY WEEK 19 ORDINARY TIME First Reading Ezekiel 16:1-15,60,63  I clothed you with my own splendour but you made yourself a prostitute The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows, ‘Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her filthy crimes. Say, “The Lord says this: By origin and birth you belong to the land of Canaan. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. At birth, the very day you were born, there was no one to cut your navel-string, or wash you in cleansing water, or rub you with salt, or wrap you in napkins. No one leaned kindly over you to do anything like that for you. You were exposed in the open fields; you were as unloved as that on the day you were born.... Readings Meditation Gospel Matthew 19:3-12 Husband and wife are no longer two, but one body Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and to test him they said, ‘Is it against the Law for a man to divorce his wife on any pretext whatever?’ He answered, ‘Have you not read that the creator from the beginning mad

THURSDAY WEEK 19 ORDINARY TIME First Reading Ezekiel 12:1-12  The oracle of exile against the whole House of Israel The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows, ‘Son of man, you are living with that set of rebels who have eyes and never see, ears and never hear, for they are a set of rebels. You, son of man, pack an exile’s bundle and emigrate by daylight when they can see you, emigrate from where you are to somewhere else while they watch. Perhaps they will admit then that they are a set of rebels. You will pack your baggage like an exile’s bundle, by daylight, for them to see, and leave like an exile in the evening, making sure that they are looking. As they watch, make a hole in the wall, and go out through it. As they watch, you will shoulder your pack and go out into the dark; you will cover your face so that you cannot see the country, since I have made you a symbol for the House of Israel.’ I did as I had been told. I packed my baggage like an exile’s bundle, by daylight

WEDNESDAY WEEK 19 IN ORDINARY TIME First Reading 2 Corinthians 9:6-10  God loves a cheerful giver Do not forget: thin sowing means thin reaping; the more you sow, the more you reap. Each one should give what he has decided in his own mind, not grudgingly or because he is made to, for  God loves a cheerful giver.  And there is no limit to the blessings which God can send you – he will make sure that you will always have all you need for yourselves in every possible circumstance, and still have something to spare for all sorts of good works. As scripture says:  He was free in almsgiving, and gave to the poor: his good deeds will never be forgotten.  Readings Reflection The one who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide you with all the seed you want and make the harvest of your good deeds a larger one. Gospel  John 12:24-26   If a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies, it yields a rich harvest Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I tell you, most solemnly, unless a

TUESDAY WEEK 19 ORDINARY TIME  First Reading Ezekiel 2:8-3,4 He gave me the scroll to eat and it was as sweet as honey I, Ezekiel, heard a voice speaking. It said, ‘You, son of man, listen to the words I say; do not be a rebel like that rebellious set. Open your mouth and eat what I am about to give you.’ I looked. A hand was there, stretching out to me and holding a scroll. He unrolled it in front of me; it was written on back and front; on it was written ‘lamentations, wailings, moanings.’ He said, ‘Son of man, eat what is given to you; eat this scroll, then go and speak to the House of Israel.’ I opened my mouth; he gave me the scroll to eat and said, ‘Son of man, feed and be satisfied by the scroll I am giving you.’ I ate it, and it tasted sweet as honey. Readings Then he said, ‘Son of man, go to the House of Israel and tell them what I have said.’ Gospel 18:1-5, 10, 12-18  Anyone who welcomes a little child in my name welcomes me The disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who is the g