Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
Dancing Before the Ark
Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: I
Introduction
By transferring the Ark to Jerusalem, the new political centre, David made the city also the religious centre of Israel. Always interested in worship – is he not at the origin of the first collection of psalms? – he sang and danced before the Ark. For liturgy is life and joy. It is a confirmation and deepening of life related to God and a new source of strength to do God’s will with love and joy.
Jesus assures us that what brings us close to God and makes us his relatives is doing the will of the Father. This is all that matters, more than ties of blood. This mission was the core and meaning of Jesus’ life and death. Let us pray that his faithfulness may also be ours.
Opening Prayer
God of joy and happiness,
in this Eucharist, you call us
to celebrate the joy of our liberation
by your Son, Jesus Christ.
Let your joy brighten our lives
and give meaning to all our tensions,
our worries and suffering.
Let it begin today and continue tomorrow,
spontaneous and contagious,
and let it express our hope
in the everlasting joy
to which you have called us
in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (8) Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Lift up, O gates, your lintels;
reach up, you ancient portals,
that the king of glory may come in!
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Who is this king of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle.
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Lift up, O gates, your lintels;
reach up, you ancient portals,
that the king of glory may come in!
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Who is this king of glory?
The LORD of hosts; he is the king of glory.
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Prayers of the Faithful
– That our liturgies may be real celebrations, in which we sing out our joy for our faith, for God’s love for us and for our life in Christ, we pray:
– That the Church as the community of God’s people may be to the world a sign of hope and joy, we pray:
– That Christians may be joyful people, because among us there is compassion, forgiveness and hope, for God lives in our midst, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God of life and joy,
in these signs of bread and wine
we celebrate the feast
of your Son’s victory over death.
Help us to believe
with all that is in us
in his life and his presence,
that our lives may be joyful
and our presence to one another changed
into an adventure of hope and joy,
now and for ever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
we believe in joy
because you have chosen us
to be free and happy
in your Son, Jesus Christ.
Make our joy imaginative and creative,
that we may share with one another
a common hope and love
and build up together a future
wherein it is good to live
on account of your risen Son,
Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Blessing
If there could only be more joy in our celebrations if we could only sing and dance for joy that Jesus has redeemed us and is present to us. May God give you joy and bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTION:
Mark 3:31-35
Living in the Freedom of Christ
After beginning His public ministry, Jesus encountered two distinct reactions. His relatives feared He had lost His senses, while religious authorities accused Him of being under the influence of evil. Yet, Jesus’ mission was driven by the power of the Holy Spirit. It was this Spirit that granted Him divine freedom—the freedom to love and serve without limits or conditions.
Jesus was free from the attachment to wealth. He left the comforts of Nazareth, choosing a life of poverty and uncertainty (Mt 6:25-34). He ministered freely to the sick and needy without asking for anything in return (Mt 10:8). His ministry was marked by pure generosity, an example for all who follow Him.
He was also free from the grip of power. Though He invited many to follow Him, He never coerced anyone. Jesus avoided aligning Himself with the powerful and consistently chose to stand with the marginalized, teaching His disciples to do the same (Lk 22:25-27).
Finally, Jesus was free from the pursuit of fame and approval. He spoke the truth boldly, even when it led to rejection and misunderstanding (Mk 3:21). His unwavering integrity carried Him to the cross, where He remained uncorrupted by fear, influence, or worldly ambitions (Mt 10:28).
This freedom of Jesus challenges us. Are we free, or do wealth, power, and success imprison us? Do we, in our daily lives, bring the fresh air of freedom, sincerity, and love to those around us?
Let us ask the Virgin Mary to guide us in embracing the freedom of God’s children (Rom 8:15,20-23), so we may live and love as Christ taught us—with hearts unbound and filled with divine love.
Living in the Freedom of Christ - Youtube
Mark 3:31-35
Brother, sister, and mother of Christ
The relatives of Jesus arrive in Capernaum to take him home. They find Jesus surrounded by people and do not enter the house. They want Jesus to come out. This spatial image has an important theological significance. There is a clear distinction between those who are inside and those who are outside. On the inside are the new brothers and sisters, the new family, and on the outside are those who belong to the old family.
Jesus' life proposal is heard by those inside. The relatives who remain outside represent ancient Israel, who were surprised by the novelty of God. It is noteworthy that the evangelist does not specifically mention Mary. He simply calls her 'mother.’ It refers to the 'motherIsrael'— from whom Christ was born. They are unwilling to accept the novelty of God andprefer to remain tied to ancient traditions and old religious convictions.
They expect Jesus to come outside the House, but Jesus wants them to go in and welcome the novelty of God. It was difficult for the relatives of Jesus to accept this novelty.
Jesus shows his old family of traditional Israel, the new family, characterized by listening and adherence to his Word, and he concludes by saying: 'Those who carry out God's plan, these are my brothers, sisters, and mother.’ We understand it well when Jesus says, ‘Be brothers and sisters’; it means that the one who listens to his Word and accepts it belongs to this new family. But can one also become a 'mother'? It is very significant because this Christian community generates Christ in the world and, therefore, becomes the mother of Christ and reproduces his face and presence among the people.