Twenty Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Numbers 11:25-29 (JB)

A reading from the book of Numbers

Are you jealous on my account? Who decrees that all people may prophesy?

The Lord came down in the Cloud. He spoke with Moses, but took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. When the spirit came on them they prophesied, but not again.

Two men had stayed back in the camp; one was called Eldad and the other Medad. The spirit came down on them; though they had not gone to the Tent, their names were enrolled among the rest. These began to prophesy in the camp. The young man ran to tell this to Moses, ‘Look,’ he said ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.’ Then said Joshua the son of Nun, who had served Moses from his youth, ‘My Lord Moses, stop them!’ Moses answered him, ‘Are you jealous on my account? If only the whole people of the Lord were prophets, and the Lord gave his Spirit to them all!’

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Numbers 11:25-29 (NRSV)

A reading from the book of Numbers

The Lord said to Moses,

“Gather for me seventy of the elders of the people,

and they shall bear the burden of the people along with you

so that you do not bear it all by yourself.”

Then the Lord came down in the cloud,

took some of the spirit that was on Moses

and put it on the seventy elders.

When the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied.

But they did not do so again.

Two men remained in the camp,

one named Eldad, and the other named Medad,

and the spirit rested on them;

they were among those registered,

but they had not gone out to the tent,

and so they prophesied in the camp.

A young man ran and told Moses,

“Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

Joshua son of Nun,

the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men, said,

“My lord Moses, stop them!”

But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake?

Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets,

and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!”

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ps 18:8, 10, 12-14 (JB)

R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

The law of the Lord is perfect,

it revives the soul.

The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,

it gives wisdom to the simple. R.

The fear of the Lord is holy,

abiding for ever.

The decrees of the Lord are truth

and all of them just. R.

So in them your servant finds instruction;

great reward is in their keeping.

But who can detect all his errors?

From hidden faults acquit me. R.

From presumption restrain your servant

and let it not rule me.

Then shall I be blameless,

clean from grave sin. R.

James 5:1-6 (JB)

A reading from the letter of St James

Your wealth is rotting.

An answer for the rich. Start crying, weep for the miseries that are coming to you. Your wealth is all rotting, your clothes are all eaten up by moths. All your gold and your silver are corroding away, and the same corrosion will be your own sentence, and eat into your body. It was a burning fire that you stored up as your treasure for the last days. Labourers mowed your fields, and you cheated them – listen to the wages that you kept back, calling out; realise that the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. On earth you have had a life of comfort and luxury; in the time of slaughter you went on eating to your heart’s content. It was you who condemned the innocent and killed them; they offered you no resistance.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

James 5:1-6 (NRSV)

A reading from the letter of James

Come now, you rich people,

weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you.

Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten.

Your gold and silver have rusted,

and their rust will be evidence against you,

and it will eat your flesh like fire.

You have laid up treasure for the last days.

Listen!

The wages of the labourers who mowed your fields,

which you kept back by fraud, cry out,

and the cries of the harvesters

have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.

You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure;

you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.

You have condemned and murdered the righteous one,

who does not resist you.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

cf John 17:17 (JB)

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your word, O Lord, is truth:

make us holy in the truth.

Alleluia!

John 17:17b (NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your word, O Lord, is truth:

make us holy in the truth.

Alleluia!

Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

Anyone who is not against us is for us. If your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off.

John said to Jesus, ‘Master, we saw a man who is not one of us casting out devils in your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.’ But Jesus said, ‘You must not stop him: no one who works a miracle in my name is likely to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.

‘If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink just because you belong to Christ, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.

‘But anyone who is an obstacle to bring down one of these little ones who have faith, would be better thrown into the sea with a great millstone round his neck. And if your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life crippled, than to have two hands and go to hell, into the fire that cannot be put out. And if your foot should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life lame, than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye should cause you to sin, tear it out; it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell where their worm does not die nor their fire go out.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to Mark

After Jesus had finished teaching the disciples,

John said to him,

“Teacher; we saw someone casting out demons in your name,

and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”

But Jesus said, “Do not stop him;

for no one who does a deed of power in my name

will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.

Whoever is not against us is for us.

“For truly I tell you,

whoever gives you a cup of water to drink

because you bear the name of Christ

will by no means lose the reward.

“If any of you put a stumbling block

before one of these little ones who believe in me,

it would be better for you

if a great millstone were hung around your neck

and you were thrown into the sea.

“If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off;

it is better for you to enter life maimed

than to have two hands and to go to hell,

to the unquenchable fire.

And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off;

it is better for you to enter life lame

than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell.

And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out;

it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye

than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell,

where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.