Sunday, September 19, 2021

Readings for September 19, 2021 annotated, lectionary 134, Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

This translation is from the New American Bible. The bolded hyperlinks will take you to additional translations. The entire chapter is included to provide context. 

Information about the meaning the original Hebrew or Greek of what seem to be key words is provided in blue.  That information is provided beneath the specific reading the words are contained in. 

Excerpts collected in yellow  at the end of this post tell us something about God’s nature or our relationship to Him. 

Excerpts collected in green  at the end of this post tell us about something God wants us to do. 

Excerpts collected in red  at the end of this post tell us about something God does not want us to do. 

Reading I

Wisdom 2:12, 17-20

The wicked say:
    Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
        he sets himself against our doings,
    reproaches us for transgressions of the law
        and charges us with violations of our training.

***

  Let us see whether his words be true;
        let us find out what will happen to him.
    For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him
        and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
    With revilement and torture let us put the just one to the test
        that we may have proof of his gentleness
        and try his patience.
    Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
        for according to his own words, God will take care of him.

just = δκαιος = dikaios

Blue Letter Bible

righteously, in accordance with what is right;without prejudice or partiality; righteous, observing divine laws; virtuous, keeping the commands of God; innocent, faultless, guiltless; used of him whose way of thinking, feeling, and acting is wholly conformed to the will of God; approved of or acceptable of God; in a narrower sense, rendering to each his due and that in a judicial sense, passing just judgment on others, whether expressed in words or shown by the manner of dealing with them;

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

observant of custom or rule, well-ordered, civilized,in due form, decently; observant of duty to gods and men, righteous; equal, even, well-balanced, evengoing;fair, impartial; lawful, just; meet and right, fitting; real, genuine; of equity

gentleness = επιεικειαν = epieikeia

Blue Letter Bible

mildness, gentleness, kindness; fairness, moderation, sweet reasonableness;mildness, fairness

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon 

Reasonableness, fairness; goodness, virtuousness; clemency


Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 54:3-4, 6, 6, and 8

R. (6b) The Lord upholds my life.
O God, by your name save me, and by your might defend my cause.
O God, hear my prayer; hearken to the words of my mouth.


R. The Lord upholds my life.
For the haughty have risen up against me, the ruthless seek my life;
    they set not God before their eyes.


R. The Lord upholds my life.
Behold, God is my helper; the Lord sustains my life.
Freely will I offer you sacrifice; I will praise your name, O LORD, for its goodness.
R. The Lord upholds my life.

 

upholds = נָצַל= nāṣal

Blue Letter Bible

to snatch away, deliver, rescue; to be torn out or away; defend; preserve; draw out, pull out

 

sustains = סָמַךְ= sāmaḵ

Blue Letter Bible

to lean, lay, rest, support, put, uphold, lean upon; to support or brace oneself; refresh, revive; bear up, stand fast; to be propped

 

goodness =טוֹב= ṭôḇ

Blue Letter Bible

good, pleasant, agreeable; excellent; rich, valuable in estimation; appropriate, becoming; happy, prosperous, kind, benign; right (ethical); welfare, prosperity, happiness

 

Reading II

James 3:16-4:3

Beloved:
Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice.  But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity.  And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace.

Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from?  Is it not from your passions that make war within your members?  You covet but do not possess.  You kill and envy but you cannot obtain; you fight and wage war.  You do not possess because you do not ask.  You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

Pure = γνς =hagnos  

Blue Letter Bible

pure from every fault, immaculate; clean; not contaminated;Sincere, Sincerely, Sincerity; with pure motive 

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon 

chaste, holy, hallowed; undefiled; guiltless; upright

peaceable = ερηνικς = eirēnikos

Blue Letter Bible

pacific, loving peace; bring peace with it, salutary

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon 

of or for peace, of or in peace, peaceful

gentle =πιεικς=epieikēs

Blue Letter Bible

"forbearance," "moderation," "sweet reasonableness"; denotes "seemly, fitting;" hence, "equitable, fair, moderate, forbearing, not insisting on the letter of the law;" it expresses that considerateness that looks "humanely and reasonably at the facts of a case;" in contrast to contentiousness; suitable equitable, fair, mild, gentle, moderation, patient

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

Fitting, meet, suitable; reasonable; fair, equitable, not according to the letter of the law; able, capable; fair, good; with moderation, mildly, kindly

mercy = λεος = eleos

Blue Letter Bible

the outward manifestation of pity; it assumes need on the part of him who receives it, and resources adequate to meet the need on the part of him who shows it; kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them; compassion (human or divine, especially active); readiness to help those in trouble

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

pity, mercy, compassion

Peace = ερνη = eirēnē

Blue Letter Bible

harmonious relationships between men; friendliness; the sense of rest and contentment; The corresponding Heb. word shalom primarily signifies "wholeness";quietness; harmony, concord; security, safety, prosperity, felicity; quietness, rest;way leading to peace, a course of life promoting harmony; a formula of wishing well, blessing, addressed by the Hebrews to departing friends

 

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

profound peace 



Alleluia

Cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:14

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God has called us through the Gospel to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel

Mark 9:30-37

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it.  He was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.”  But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?”  But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. 

Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”  Taking a child, he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it, he said to them, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.”  

receives = δχομαι = dechomai

Blue Letter Bible

deliberate and ready reception; taking with the hand, taking hold, taking hold of, taking up;to receive favourably, give ear to, embrace, make one's own, approve; to take upon one's self, sustain, bear, endure; to learn; to receive, grant access to; not to refuse contact or friendship 

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

take, accept; take, accept without complaint; accept graciously; approve; give ear to, hear; take or regard as,understand in a certain sense; take upon oneself; accept or admit as an ally;accept as security, entertain; expect, wait; occupy, engage one; hold


What these readings tell us about God & His ways:

his words be true

God will defend him and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
God will take care of him

The Lord upholds my life
your might

defend my cause

The Lord upholds my life

The Lord upholds my life
God is my helper

the Lord sustains my life
goodness
The Lord upholds my life

the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity

the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace

God has called us through the Gospel to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ
The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise

they did not understand 

Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me

whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me

 

What these readings tell us to do:

gentleness
patience

prayer

the words of my mouth

offer you sacrifice

praise your name

ask

be the last of all and the servant of all

receives one child such as this in my name

receives me

 

What these readings tell us not to do:

The wicked
beset the just one

revilement

torture

jealousy

selfish ambition

disorder

foul practice

wars

conflicts

passions that make war within your members

covet 

kill 

envy

fight

wage war

ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions

discussing ... who was the greatest


 

 

 

 

 

 

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