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Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 396
Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, That dwells apart in a woodland, in the midst of Carmel. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old; As in the days when you came from the land of Egypt, show us wonderful signs.Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, And will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins; You will show faithfulness to Jacob, and grace to Abraham, As you have sworn to our fathers from days of old.
R. (8a) Lord, show us your mercy and love. You have favored, O LORD, your land; you have brought back the captives of Jacob. You have forgiven the guilt of your people; you have covered all their sins. You have withdrawn all your wrath; you have revoked your burning anger. R. Lord, show us your mercy and love. Restore us, O God our savior, and abandon your displeasure against us. Will you be ever angry with us, prolonging your anger to all generations? R. Lord, show us your mercy and love. Will you not instead give us life; and shall not your people rejoice in you? Show us, O LORD, your kindness, and grant us your salvation. R. Lord, show us your mercy and love.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him and we will come to him. R. Alleluia, alleluia.
While Jesus was speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with him. Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you.” But he said in reply to the one who told him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner. Via USCCB
Have you ever felt like an outsider looking in? Today, God throws the doors wide open. In the Gospel, Jesus isn’t rejecting His biological mother; He is radically expanding the definition of family. He invites you into His inner circle, not because of your lineage or status, but based on your heart’s orientation toward the Father. This connects beautifully with the reading from Micah, where we see the "family character" of God: a Father who doesn't hold grudges but delights in mercy, casting our sins into the "depths of the sea." You are invited to be a brother or sister to Christ, accepted fully by a God who is eager to forgive.
Let’s look at this as a Personal Challenge. It is easy for us to wear our faith like a team jersey-we claim the label "Catholic" and assume we are on the roster. But Jesus clarifies that spiritual DNA is proven through action, not just association. Think about a gym membership: simply carrying the key tag on your ring doesn't make you healthy; doing the workout does. Similarly, we can’t just rely on our baptismal certificate or our proximity to holy things. We have to ask ourselves: am I actually doing the workout? Am I living the Father's will in the gritty, unglamorous moments of my Tuesday afternoon?
The "Sea of Sins" Visualization: Before you go to bed tonight, take a specific regret or sin from the day, visualize holding it like a stone, and mentally toss it into the ocean, recalling Micah’s promise that God casts our sins into the depths. Leave it there.
The "Family" Favor: Identify one person today (a coworker, spouse, or neighbor) who is difficult to love. Do one small, concrete act of service for them, explicitly telling Jesus, "I am doing this because this is how our Family treats people."
When you hear that God "delights in clemency" rather than anger, what emotion rises up in you-relief, skepticism, or joy?
If an outsider watched your actions for the last 24 hours without hearing your words, who would they say you are related to?
What is one specific area of your life where you know the "will of the Father," but you have been hesitating to actually do it?
Jesus stretches his hand out to his disciples and calls them family; imagine Him stretching His hand toward you right now. what does He say to you?
What "stone" or guilt are you still carrying in your pocket that needs to be thrown into the sea of God's mercy?
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