USCCB - (NAB) - November 1, 2009

USCCB - (NAB) - November 1, 2009: "Responsorial Psalm
Ps 24:1bc-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?
One 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 him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face."

Reading II - 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time

1 Jn 3:1-3 *** Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure.

You are the child of God. Do you know Him who is your Heavenly Father? Do you have hope in obtaining holiness? Can you imagine facing Him in all of His Glory?

Reading 1- 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time

I, John, saw another angel come up from the East, holding the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were given power to damage the land and the sea,“Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal, one hundred and forty-four thousand marked from every tribe of the children of Israel.
After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.They cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb.”
All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They prostrated themselves before the throne, worshiped God, and exclaimed:
“Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me,“Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?”I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.”He said to me,“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.” **Rv 7:2-4, 9-14

This is a wonderful vision of heaven that is meant to inspire us to look beyond our current circumstances to what awaits those who persevere in faithfulness.

How does this scripture inspire you today?

Gospel Reading - 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle B

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” **Mat 5:1-12

In this gospel, Jesus tells us what the core of our faith is as love of God and man.

Reflect this week on someone in your family, work or elsewhere who you have great difficulty in loving. Take time to lift that person up in prayer and make an effort to show love to them by meeting thier needs in some way. Remember that love is a choice that we make.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6

R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,we were like men dreaming.Then our mouth was filled with laughter,and our tongue with rejoicing.

R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Then they said among the nations,"The LORD has done great things for them."The LORD has done great things for us;we are glad indeed.

R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,like the torrents in the southern desert.Those that sow in tearsshall reap rejoicing.

R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Although they go forth weeping,carrying the seed to be sown,They shall come back rejoicing,carrying their sheaves.R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

~~~~~What does this psalm say to you?~~~~~~~

Reading II - Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Brothers and sisters:Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring, for he himself is beset by weaknessand so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people.No one takes this honor upon himself but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. In the same way, it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest, but rather the one who said to him: You are my son: this day I have begotten you; just as he says in another place: You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.~~

Heb 5:1-6

**Jesus Christ is the High Priest and His priesthood is eternal. As High Priest He mediates between God and us. **

Every Priest is a man that God calls specifically for this ministry to represent us in His presence. Do we recognize our Priests as someone who has answered this special call? Consider how we show honor to our priests and respect the men who serve in our parish.

Reading 1 - 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Jer 31:7-9

Thus says the LORD: Shout with joy for Jacob,exult at the head of the nations; proclaim your praise and say: The LORD has delivered his people,the remnant of Israel.Behold, I will bring them back from the land of the north; I will gather them from the ends of the world,with the blind and the lame in their midst,the mothers and those with child;they shall return as an immense throng.They departed in tears,but I will console them and guide them; I will lead them to brooks of water,on a level road, so that none shall stumble.For I am a father to Israel,Ephraim is my first-born.

**Jeremiah reveals to us the promise of God to restore all families of Israel not just to the promise to a tribe of Judah. For those who trust in God we are told that God and Jesus will lead us home from exile.**

Consider what God says he had done for his people. What has the Lord done for you that calls you to "Shout with Joy"?

Gospel Reading -30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B, Oct 25, 2009

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,sat by the roadside begging.On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,he began to cry out and say,"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more,"Son of David, have pity on me."Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."So they called the blind man, saying to him,"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see." Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you." Immediately he received his sightand followed him on the way.~~Mark 10: 46-52~~

**Although Bartimaeus was phyically blind he was not blind spiritually. He saw Jesus clearly with his perfect spiritual vision as the Messiah. **

So many today have spiritual blindness. Meditate this week on this scripture. Spend time with Jesus asking Him where you are spiritually handicapped. Ask Him to heal you, he wants you to have perfect spiritual health.