Twenty-fourth Sunday. Year B - Sunday, September 12, 2021 -(EPISODE: 321)

Twenty-fourth Sunday. Year B - Sunday, September 12, 2021

(EPISODE: 321)

Readings for Twenty-fourth Sunday. Year B
FIRST READING: Isa 50: 4-9a
Ps 116: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9. "I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living."
SECOND READING: Jas 2: 14-18
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Gal 6: 14). Alleluia, alleluia! My only glory is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Which crucifies the world to me and me to the world.
GOSPEL: Mark 8: 27-35

Image - Shutterstock licensed - ID:47848003 - Saint Peter - By Zvonimir Atletic
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Please listen to the audio recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for Twenty-fourth Sunday. Year B - Sunday, September 12, 2021 by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-24th-sunday-ordinary-b-episode-321  
(EPISODE: 321)
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* (Prologue:  Fr Paul Kelly)
"You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns." (Mark 8:33)
This weekend in the readings, we are reminded that our faith must show itself in ACTION, and flow into good works.  And in the gospel, Our Lord reminds us that following him is not about self-interest, but about denying ourselves and taking up our cross and following him, in HIS ways of service, sacrifice and compassion.   No wonder the three theological virtues are so important and go together...  Faith leads to hope, and hope leads to love that shows itself in practical action.
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A Dramatic series of events in today's Gospel. Jesus firmly says: "You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns." (Mark 8:33)
 
Jesus wants to make it clear to all who are following him….  (as if to say…)  …"I am not the one who is making false promises of success…..  It is the liars and false prophets who promise worldly success and its trophies….  wealth, money, gold, earthly kingship, success, health and happiness in this life…..  I am not offering this to you… I am offering you the way of the Cross….  The path of suffering, self-forgetting love and service… even to giving one's own life.  Be under NO misapprehension about what following Christ means…."  But also, trust that this path will gain the vindication, the stamp of approval from God the Father and it truly the way of everlasting life.
 
Peter had rightly worked out WHO JESUS IS>>>>>////that Jesus was the Christ….  A word which means, anointed one…  Messiah….God's Chosen King….   But the reason Jesus silences him as soon as he says this truth about him, and then shortly after rebukes Peter when he misunderstands what the next steps in Christ's mission will be… is that Jesus now has to set about carefully teaching them….Re-educating them into the RIGHT understanding of what "God's Messiah" actually means… It is NOT an earthly King… it is NOT a revolutionary who will bring war and retribution upon the Romans…..  it is NOT one who is offering earthly success… in the eyes of the world…. And this goes against the common expectations and understandings of the time…. And it's going to be hard to get those mistaken concepts out of their heads.  And Our Lord is wise and understanding; He knows that many will ask: "Who would want to follow someone who only promises the CROSS, suffering, failure, death!"  But it is only those who believe and trust in Him, and who can trust that this path leads to the TRUTH, and to the fullness of life, who are capable of making the giant but the necessary leap of faith.
 
Jesus calls us to follow him and not try to lead him. St Peter tried to LEAD Jesus in today's gospel, and Our Lord quickly set his straight. Get behind me. Not in front of me.  Follow me, don't try to lead me.
 
Also, just as importantly, Jesus shows us the priorities and values of God's anointed -  he healed the sick, forgave sinners, welcomed outcasts, he looked for the lost. He invited all people to be part of God's Kingdom. This was a "re-ordering" of values and priorities according to God's values. And it was bound to cause a lot of anger and hatred from those who liked things just the way they were – because those people were benefitting from the present status quo (at the expense of a lot of others who were trapped in terrible situations, unable to get out). Jesus knew that they would try to kill him and succeed, and then, only then, would God's victory over their evil be revealed in its fullness.  Because you cannot bury God's plans and priorities and you cannot silence God's anointed one.  But Jesus had to crucify all the opposing powers by taking the poisonous fruits of their values and actions and defeating them on the cross.

"The Messiahship of Jesus is one of service, of suffering love and of self-giving love. There will be no triumph apart from the Cross. To be a disciple is to walk this same path of service, suffering and self-giving love."[ii]

Jesus wasn't desiring to suffer. He wasn't demanding the cross for its own sake. He wasn't welcoming difficulty in his life, any more than he would wish us to suffer -  And he did go about healing people and assisting them. But being faithful to the truth of the gospel's values means burdens and suffering.  Jesus knew that each person has their own cross to bear….  For each of us, there are some things that cannot be avoided without losing the things that matter most. So we are invited to live with these crosses in ways that are loving, giving, hopeful, and which shows grace and gentleness throughout.  Allowing God to transform the crosses into means of life and love.  To try and evade the Cross in our life is to live dishonestly. It is a hard concept to pin down….  Naturally, we are meant to do everything to heal, to help to reduce other's suffering and burdens. That truth continues to be abidingly important. But there are some burdens that if we try to avoid, it would mean selling out on very values that really matter. Or it would mean not really living fully;  not being prepared to pay the price for standing up for justice, forgiveness and support for those in practical need. And for all of us, eventually, there will be one definitive cross that each of us cannot escape, at different times and in ways not of our choosing. Christ shows us the way through them to lasting victory.

Ultimately, the teaching of Jesus about the cross is actually a lesson in hope. Jesus is giving us the best message we could hope to know. No matter what happens in life, even if everything goes pear-shaped and doesn't seem to be ending well, Our Lord is calling us to put our trust in him, that the difficult journeys that we all are called to take through life, will eventually be greeted with resurrection and eternal life in Christ.  And that gives us all the strength we need to endure whatever comes, following the example of Jesus.. who goes ahead of us through it all…

References:

Homily –Fr Paul W. Kelly

2009 – A BOOK OF GRACE-FILLED DAYS. BY ALICE CAMILLE;

SHARING THE WORD THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR. GUSTAVO GUTIERREZ;

THE DAILY STUDY BIBLE. GOSPEL OF MARK. (REVISED EDITION). BY WILLIAM BARCLAY;

St Paul Sunday Missal. 2009. Paper edition; Celebrating the Gospels.

Gaynell Cronin; The Summit. Archdiocese of Melbourne. Vol 39. Number 3, Aug 2012).
 
Image - Shutterstock licensed - ID:47848003 - Saint Peter - By Zvonimir Atletic

Twenty-fourth Sunday. Year B  (Sunday, September 12, 2021
(EPISODE: 321)
The Lord be with you.
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{{How are you today}} welcome everyone, we gather -  To offer or praise, prayers and intercessions to our loving God

As we prepare to celebrate the paschal mystery, let us admit our failings and ask the Lord for pardon and strength. 

Lord Jesus, you came to reconcile us to the Father and to one another: Lord, have mercy//You heal the wounds of our sin and division: Christ, have mercy// You intercede for us with the Father: Lord, have mercy//

May Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.  Amen.
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Memorial Acclamation
3. Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.
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Ps 116: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9. "I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living."

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Gal 6: 14). Alleluia, alleluia! My only glory is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Which crucifies the world to me and me to the world.
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PREFACE: Sundays VI
EP II
(theme variation: 2 )

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{Bless you all and May God's grace guide you each and every day of this week.}

Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.

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Archive of homilies and reflections:  http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email:  paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to our weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here:  https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com

Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection"  - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

Prayers and chants  — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)

Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989,  and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)

"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009,  The Grail - Collins publishers.

Prayers of the Faithful -   " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'.   E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993) . (Sydney Australia).

Sung "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" -  By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria, Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.

- "Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - in memory of William John (Bill) Kelly (1942-2017) -  Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

"Quiet Time."  Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.

- "Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly.  Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer.  Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

Sound Engineering and editing -  P.W. Kelly.
Microphones: - Shure Motiv MV5 Digital Condenser.

Editing equipment:    NCH software - MixPad Multitrack Studio Recording Software

NCH – WavePad Audio Editing Software. Masters Edition v 12.44

Sound Processing:  iZotope RX 6 Audio Editor

[ Production -  KER -  2021]

May God bless and keep you.
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