10th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Genesis 3:9-15 (JB)

A reading from the book of Genesis

I will make you enemies of each other: your offspring and her offspring.

The Lord God called to the man after he had eaten of the tree. ‘Where are you?’ he asked. ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden;’ he replied ‘I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’ ‘Who told you that you were naked?’ he asked. ‘Have you been eating of the tree I forbade you to eat?’ The man replied, ‘It was the woman you put with me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’ Then the Lord God asked the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman replied, ‘The serpent tempted me and I ate.’

Then the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this,

‘Be accursed beyond all cattle,

all wild beasts.

You shall crawl on your belly and eat dust

every day of your life.

I will make you enemies of each other:

you and the woman,

your offspring and her offspring.

It will crush your head

and you will strike its heel.’

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Genesis 3:8-15 (NRSV)

A reading from the book of Genesis

After the woman and the man had eaten from the tree,

they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden

at the time of the evening breeze,

and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God

among the trees of the garden.

But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him,

“Where are you?”

He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden,

and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

God said, “Who told you that you were naked?

Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me,

she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.”

Then the Lord God said to the woman,

“What is this that you have done?”

The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.”

The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,

cursed are you among all animals

and among all wild creatures;

upon your belly you shall go,

and dust you shall eat

all the days of your life.

I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and hers;

he will strike your head,

and you will strike his heel.”

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ps 129 (JB)

R. With the Lord there is mercy

and fullness of redemption.

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord,

Lord, hear my voice!

O let your ears be attentive

to the voice of my pleading. R.

If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt,

Lord, who would survive?

But with you is found forgiveness:

for this we revere you. R.

My soul is waiting for the Lord,

I count on his word.

My soul is longing for the Lord

more than watchman for daybreak. R.

Because with the Lord there is mercy

and fullness of redemption,

Israel indeed he will redeem

from all its iniquity. R.

2 Corinthians 4:13 – 5:1 (JB)

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

We believe, and therefore we speak.

As we have the same spirit of faith that is mentioned in scripture – I believed, therefore I spoke – we too believe and therefore we too speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus to life will raise us with Jesus in our turn, and put us by his side and you with us. You see, all this is for your benefit, so that the more grace is multiplied among people, the more thanksgiving there will be, to the glory of God.

That is why there is no weakening on our part, and instead, though this outer man of ours may be falling into decay, the inner man is renewed day by day. Yes, the troubles which are soon over, though they weigh little, train us for the carrying of a weight of eternal glory which is out of all proportion to them. And so we have no eyes for things that are visible, but only for things that are invisible; for visible things last only for a time, and the invisible things are eternal.

For we know that when the tent that we live in on earth is folded up, there is a house built by God for us, an everlasting home not made by human hands, in the heavens.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

2 Corinthians 4:13 – 5,1 (NRSV)

A reading from the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians

Just as we have the same spirit of faith

that is in accordance with scripture-

“I believe, and so I spoke”-

we also believe, and so we speak,

because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus

will raise us also with Jesus,

and will bring us with you into his presence.

Yes, everything is for your sake,

so that grace, as it extends to more and more people,

may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

So we do not lose heart.

Even though our outer nature is wasting away,

our inner nature is being renewed day by day.

For this slight momentary affliction

is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure,

because we look not at what can be seen

but at what cannot be seen;

for what can be seen is temporary,

but what cannot be seen is eternal.

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed,

we have a building from God,

a house not made with hands,

eternal in the heavens.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

John 12:31, 32 (JB)

Alleluia, alleluia!

The prince of this world will now be cast out,

and when I am lifted up from the earth

I will draw all to myself, says the Lord.

Alleluia!

John 12:31, 32 (NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia!

The prince of this world will now be cast out,

and when I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all to myself, says the Lord.

Alleluia!

Mark 3:20-35 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

It is the end of Satan.

Jesus went home, and such a crowd collected that they could not even have a meal. When his relatives heard of this, they set out to take charge of him, convinced he was out of his mind.

The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying: ‘Beelzebul is in him’ and, ‘It is through the prince of devils that he casts devils out.’ So Jesus called them to him and spoke to them in parables, ‘How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom can not last. And if a household is divided against itself, that household can never stand. Now if Satan has rebelled against himself and is divided, he can not stand either – it is the end of him. But no one can make his way into a strong man’s house and burgle his property unless he has tied up the strong man first. Only then can he burgle his house.

‘I tell you solemnly, all men’s sins will be forgiven, and all their blasphemies: but let anyone blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and he will never have forgiveness: he is guilty of an eternal sin.’ This was because they were saying, ‘An unclean spirit is in him.’

The mother and brothers of Jesus arrived and, standing outside, sent in a message asking for him. A crowd was sitting round him at the time the message was passed to him, ‘Your mother and brothers and sisters are outside asking for you.’ He replied, ‘Who are my mother and brothers?’ And looking round at those sitting in a circle about him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Mark 3:20-35 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to Mark.

Jesus went home and the crowd came together again,

so that they could not even eat.

When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him,

for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.”

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said,

“He has Beelzebul,

and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.”

And Jesus called them to him, and spoke to them in parables,

“How can Satan cast out Satan?

If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

And if a house is divided against itself,

that house will not be able to stand.

And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided,

he cannot stand, but his end has come.

But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property

without first tying up the strong man;

then indeed the house can be plundered.

“Truly I tell you,

people will be forgiven for their sins

and whatever blasphemies they utter;

but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit

can never have forgiveness,

but is guilty of an eternal sin”-

for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Then his mother and his brothers came;

and standing outside, they sent to him and called him.

A crowd was sitting around him;

and they said to him,

“Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.”

And Jesus replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”

And looking at those who sat around him, he said,

“Here are my mother and my brothers!

Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.