Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B
Entrance Antiphon
As for me, in justice I shall behold your face;
I shall be filled with the vision of your glory.
First Reading: Amos 7:12-15. A reading from the prophet Amos
Go, prophesy to my people.
Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, said to Amos, ‘Go away, seer; get back to the land of Judah; earn your bread there, do your prophesying there. We want no more prophesying in Bethel; this is the royal sanctuary, the national temple.’ ‘I was no prophet, neither did I belong to any of the brotherhoods of prophets.’ Amos replied to Amaziah, ‘I was a shepherd, and looked after sycamores: but it was the Lord who took me from herding the flock, and the Lord who said, “Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”’
Responsorial Psalm: Lord, show us your mercy and love, and grant us your salvation.
- I will hear what the Lord God has to say,
a voice that speaks of peace,
peace for his people.
His help is near for those who fear him
and his glory will dwell in our land. (R.)
- Mercy and faithfulness have met;
justice and peace have embraced.
Faithfulness shall spring from the earth
and justice look down from heaven. (R.)
- The Lord will make us prosper
and our earth shall yield its fruit.
Justice shall march before him
and peace shall follow his steps. (R.)
Second Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14. A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Ephesians
Before the world was made, he chose us in Christ.
Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ.
Before the world was made, he chose us, chose us in Christ,
to be holy and spotless, and to live through love in his presence,
determined that we should become his adopted sons, through Jesus Christ
for his own kind purposes,
to make us praise the glory of his grace,
his free gift to us in the Beloved
in whom, through his blood, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins.
Such is the richness of the grace
which he has showered on us
in all wisdom and insight.
He has let us know the mystery of his purpose,
the hidden plan he so kindly made in Christ from the beginning
to act upon when the times had run their course to the end:
that he would bring everything together under Christ, as head,
everything in the heavens and everything on earth.
And it is in him that we were claimed as God’s own,
chosen from the beginning,
under the predetermined plan of the one who guides all things
as he decides by his own will;
chosen to be,
for his greater glory,
the people who would put their hopes in Christ before he came.
Now you too, in him,
have heard the message of the truth and the good news of your salvation,
and have believed it:
and you have been stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit of the Promise,
the pledge of our inheritance
which brings freedom for those whom God has taken for his own,
to make his glory praised.
Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia! May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our hearts that we might see how great is the hope to which we are called. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 6:7-13. A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark
He called the Twelve, and began to send them out.
Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs giving them authority over the unclean spirits. And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. They were to wear sandals, but, he added, ‘Do not take a spare tunic.’ And he said to them, ‘If you enter a house anywhere, stay there until you leave the district. And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as you walk away shake off the dust from under your feet as a sign to them.’ So they set off to preach repentance; and they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them.
REFLECTION
Many centuries ago the Pope decided that all the Jews had to leave Rome. Naturally there was an uproar from the Jewish community. So the Pope made a deal. He would have a religious debate with a member of the Jewish community. If the Jews won, they could stay. If the Pope won, the Jews had to leave. The Jews realised that they had no choice. Problem was that no one wanted to debate the Pope. The only volunteer was a poor, simple, old man named Moishe who opened the door to the synagogue each Friday night. Not being used to words Moishe asked for only one addition to the debate – that neither side be allowed to talk. The Pope agreed.
The day of the great debate came. Moishe and the Pope sat opposite each other. The Pope raised his hand and showed three fingers. Moishe looked back at him and raised one finger. The Pope waved his hand in a circle around his head. Moishe pointed to the ground where he sat. The Pope pulled out a wafer and a glass of wine. Moishe pulled out an apple. The Pope stood up and said, ‘I give up. This man is too good. The Jews can stay.’
Later, the Pope explained what happened: ‘I held up three fingers to represent the Trinity. He responded by holding up one finger to remind me that we believe in the same one God. Then I waved my hand around my head to show that God was all around us. He responded by pointing to the ground, showing that God was present right here. I pulled out the bread and wine to show that God has given us the Eucharist. He pulled out an apple to remind me of original sin. He had an answer for everything. What could I do?’
Meanwhile, Moishe explained to the Jewish scholars how he won the unwinnable debate. ‘Well’, said Moishe, ‘First he said that the Jews had three days to get out of Rome. I told him that not one of us was leaving. Then he told me that this whole city would be cleared of Jews. I let him know that we were staying right here.’ ‘And then what clinched the debate?’ asked the Rabbi. ‘I don’t know’, said Moishe. ‘It was strange. He took out his lunch, and I took out mine!’
Life always depends on how we read the signs!
In today’s Gospel Jesus tells the twelve apostles that they should embody three signs: simplicity of lifestyle, dependence on others and hospitality. These instructions are such a contrast to what most of us value today, where it is often the rich and powerful, the independent and the inhospitable who are thought to be the best leaders.
For Jesus, however, the one truly sent in his name is the one who knows that another’s worth comes from who they are, not what they have. It doesn’t matter whether we’re rich or poor. It’s the way we use our money for others which reveals whether our wealth possesses us or not.
For Jesus, being ‘a rock and an island’ was not a sign of strength but one of fear and despair. A strong Christian is the one who rejoices in our dependence on each other, and is always grateful for the interconnectedness of life.
For Jesus, making room for others, especially toward those in legitimate need and even when it makes a large claim on us, is a pre-eminent sign of his Kingdom.
The Christian life is about reading the signs of the times. May our Eucharistic signs of his presence amongst us, the bread and wine, change us today, to match it with the best in being simple in lifestyle, happily dependent and extravagantly hospitable with our time, talent and energy for the sake of the Kingdom of God. (HOMILY by Richard Leonard)