Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Job 7:1-4, 6-7 (JB)

A reading from the prophet Job

I am filled with sorrow all day long.

Job began to speak:

Is not man’s life on earth nothing more than pressed service,

his time no better than hired drudgery?

Like the slave, sighing for the shade,

or the workman with no thought but his wages,

months of delusion I have assigned to me,

nothing for my own but nights of grief.

Lying in bed I wonder, ‘When will it be day?’

Risen I think, ‘How slowly evening comes!’

Restlessly I fret till twilight falls.

Swifter than a weaver’s shuttle my days have passed,

and vanished, leaving no hope behind.

Remember that my life is but a breath,

and that my eyes will never again see joy.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Job 7:1-4, 6-7 (NRSV)

A reading from the book of Job

Job spoke to his friends:

“Do not human beings have a hard service on earth,

and are not their days like the days of a labourer?

Like a slave who longs for the shadow,

and like labourers who look for their wages,

so I am allotted months of emptiness,

and nights of misery are apportioned to me.

“When I lie down I say, ‘When shall I rise?’

But the night is long,

and I am full of tossing until dawn.

My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,

and come to their end without hope.

Remember that my life is a breath;

my eye will never again see good.”

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ps 146:1-6 (JB)

R. Praise the Lord who heals the broken-hearted.

or

R. Alleluia!

Praise the Lord for he is good;

sing to our God for he is loving:

to him our praise is due. R.

The Lord builds up Jerusalem

and brings back Israel’s exiles,

he heals the broken-hearted,

he binds up all their wounds.

he fixes the number of the stars;

he calls each one by its name. R.

Our Lord is great and almighty;

his wisdom can never be measured.

The Lord raises the lowly;

he humbles the wicked to the dust. R.

1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23 (JB)

A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians

Punishment will come to me if I do not preach the Gospel.

I do not boast of preaching the gospel, since it is a duty which has been laid on me; I should be punished if I did not preach it! If I had chosen this work myself, I might have been paid for it, but as I have not, it is a responsibility which has been put into my hands. Do you know what my reward is? It is this: in my preaching, to be able to offer the Good News free, and not insist on the rights which the gospel gives me.

So though I am not a slave of any man I have made myself the slave of everyone so as to win as many as I could. For the weak I made myself weak. I made myself all things to all men in order to save some at any cost; and I still do this, for the sake of the gospel, to have a share in its blessing.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23 (NRSV)

A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians

If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting,

for an obligation is laid on me,

and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel!

For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward;

but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission.

What then is my reward?

Just this:

that in my proclamation

I may make the gospel free of charge,

so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel.

For though I am free with respect to all,

I have made myself a slave to all,

so that I might win more of them.

To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak.

I have become all things to all people,

that I might by all means save some.

I do it all for the sake of the gospel,

so that I may share in its blessings.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Matthew 8:17 (JB)

Alleluia, alleluia!

He bore our sickness,

and endured our suffering.

Alleluia!

Matthew 8:17 (NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia!

Christ bore our sickness,

and endured our suffering.

Alleluia!

Mark 1:29-39 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

He cured many who suffered from diseases of one kind or another.

On leaving the synagogue, Jesus went with James and John straight to the house of Simon and Andrew. Now Simon’s mother-in-law had gone to bed with fever, and they told him about her straightaway. He went to her, took her by the hand and helped her up. And the fever left her and she began to wait on them.

That evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were sick and those who were possessed by devils. The whole town came crowding round the door, and he cured many who were suffering from diseases of one kind or another; he also cast out many devils, but he would not allow them to speak, because they knew who he was.

In the morning, long before dawn, he got up and left the house, and went off to a lonely place and prayed there. Simon and his companions set out in search of him, and when they found him they said, ‘Everybody is looking for you.’ He answered, ‘Let us go elsewhere, to the neighbouring country towns, so that I can preach there too, because that is why I came.’ And he went all through Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out devils.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Mark 1:29-39 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to Mark

As soon as Jesus and his disciples left the synagogue,

they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.

Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever;

and they told Jesus about her at once.

He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up.

Then the fever left her; and she began to serve them.

That evening, at sundown,

they brought to Jesus all who were sick or possessed with demons.

And the whole city was gathered around the door.

And he cured many who were sick with various diseases,

and cast out many demons;

and he would not permit the demons to speak,

because they knew him.

In the morning, while it was still very dark,

Jesus got up and went out to a deserted place,

and there he prayed.

And Simon and his companions hunted for him.

When they found him, they said to him,

“Everyone is searching for you.”

He answered, “Let us go on to the neighbouring towns,

so that I may proclaim the message there also;

for that is what I came out to do.”

And Jesus went throughout Galilee,

proclaiming the message in their synagogues

and casting out demons.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.