FEAST OF ST. JOSEPH THE WORKER
Psalter: Proper / (White)
Ps 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30
Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
1st Reading: Gen 1:26–2:3 (or Col 3:14-15, 17, 23-24)
God said, ”Let us make man in our image, to our likeness. Let them rule over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over the cattle, over the wild animals, and over all creeping things that crawl along the ground.” So God created man in his image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, ”Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it, rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky, over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
God said, ”I have given you every seed-bearing plant which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree that bears fruit with seed. It will be for your food. To every wild animal, to every bird of the sky, to everything that creeps along the ground, to everything that has the breath of life, I give every green plant for food.” So it was.
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. There was evening and there was morning: the sixth day
That was the way the sky and earth were created and all their vast array. By the seventh day the work God had done was completed, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had done.
Gospel: Mt 13:54-58 (or Jn 6:22-29)
Jesus went to his hometown and taught the people in their synagogue. They were amazed and said, ”Where did he get this wisdom and these special powers? Isn‘t he the carpenter‘s son? Isn‘t Mary his mother and aren‘t James, Joseph, Simon and Judas his brothers? Aren‘t all his sisters living here? Where did he get all these things?” And so they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them, ”The only place where prophets are not welcome is his hometown and in his own family.” And he did not perform many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
REFLECTION:
We cannot underestimate the importance of biological needs. Just look at the motives that drove the people to search for Jesus, they expend a lot of time and effort in finding Him not because of His life-giving word but because they eat bread and were satisfied. Thus mission must not only be upward looking but must also be mindful of the realities on the ground.
But Jesus without relativizing human biological needs that must be attended to invites the people to a deeper and wholesome form of satisfaction. He invites them to look beyond personal needs and respond to the deeper need of the human spirit. That there is more to life than material satisfaction and comfort. And He called it work. The people should work for food that do not perish. The work is too easy and hard at the same time. They need to believe in Him who was sent by the Father. Thus it is not physical bodily works that assures food that lasts forever but the works of the spirit.
Daily Reflection
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Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL
With permission from the EPISCOPAL COMMISION ON LITURGY of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
Readings and Reflections
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