First Reading: A reading from the book of Numbers Num 11:25-29
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 called Eldad and the other Medad. The spirit came down on them; though they had not gone to the Tent, their name 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 sadi 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!'
This is the word of the Lord
Second Reading: A reading from the Letter of St James Jas 5:1-6
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 sentence, and eat into your body. It was a burning fire that you stored up as your treasure for the last days. Labourers mowed yoru 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 resistence..
This is the word of the Lord.
Gospel Reading: A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
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 cating 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 miracle in my name is likely to speak eveil 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 thier fire go out.'
The Gospel of the Lord. |