23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Isaiah 35:4-7 (JB)

A reading from the prophet Isaiah

Then the ears of the deaf shall be opened and the tongues of the dumb speak.

Say to all faint hearts,

‘Courage! Do not be afraid.

‘Look, your God is coming,

vengeance is coming,

the retribution of God;

he is coming to save you.’

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

the ears of the deaf unsealed,

then the lame shall leap like a deer

and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy;

for water gushes in the desert,

streams in the wasteland,

the scorched earth becomes a lake,

the parched land springs of water.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Isaiah 35:4-7 (NRSV)

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah

Say to those who are of a fearful heart,

“Be strong, do not fear!

Here is your God.

He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense.

He will come and save you.”

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

then the lame shall leap like a deer;

and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.

For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,

and streams in the desert;

the burning sand shall become a pool,

and the thirsty ground springs of water.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ps 145:7-10 (JB)

R. Praise the Lord, my soul!

or

R. Alleluia!

It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever,

who is just to those who are oppressed.

It is he who gives bread to the hungry,

the Lord, who sets prisoners free. R.

It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind,

who raises up those who are bowed down,

the Lord who loves the just,

the Lord, who protects the stranger. R.

The Lord upholds the widow and orphan,

but thwarts the path of the wicked.

The Lord will reign for ever,

Zion’s God, from age to age. R.

James 2:1-5 (JB)

A reading from the letter of St James

Has not God chosen the poor of the world to inherit the kingdom?

My brothers, do not try to combine faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord, with the making of distinctions between classes of people. Now suppose a man comes into your synagogue, beautifully dressed and with a gold ring on, and at the same time a poor man comes in, in shabby clothes, and you take notice of the well-dressed man, and say, ‘Come this way to the best seats;’ then you tell the poor man, ‘Stand over there’ or ‘You can sit on the floor by my foot-rest.’ Can’t you see that you have used two different standards in your mind, and turned yourselves into judges, and corrupt judges at that?

Listen, my dear brothers: it was those who are poor according to the world that God chose, to be rich in faith and to be the heirs to the kingdom which he promised to those who love him.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

James 2:1-5 (NRSV)

A reading from the letter of James

My brothers and sisters,

do you with your acts of favouritism

really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ?

For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes

comes into your assembly,

and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in,

and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say,

“Have a seat here, please,”

while to the one who is poor you say,

“Stand there,” or; “Sit at my feet,”

have you not made distinctions among yourselves,

and become judges with evil thoughts?

Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters.

Has not God chosen the poor in the world

to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom

that he has promised to those who love him?

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Matthew 4:23 (JB)

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus preached the Good News of the kingdom

and healed all who were sick.

Alleluia!

Matthew 4:23 (NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus preached the good news of the kingdom

and healed all who were sick.

Alleluia!

Mark 7:31-37 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

He makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.

Returning from the district of Tyre, Jesus went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, right through the Decapolis region. And they brought him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they asked him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, put his fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue with spittle. Then looking up to heaven he sighed; and he said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened.’ And his ears were opened, and the ligament of his tongue was loosened and he spoke clearly. And Jesus ordered them to tell no one about it, but the more he insisted, the more widely they published it. Their admiration was unbounded. ‘He has done all things well,’ they said ‘he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Mark 7:31-37 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to Mark

Returning from the region of Tyre,

Jesus went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee,

in the region of the Decapolis.

They brought to him a man who was deaf

and who had an impediment in his speech;

and they begged him to lay his hand on him.

Jesus took him aside in private, away from the crowd,

and put his fingers into his ears,

and he spat and touched his tongue.

Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him,

“Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”

And immediately the man’s ears were opened,

his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.

Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one;

but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.

They were astounded beyond measure, saying,

“He has done everything well;

he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.