Friday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Sin - In Us
Other Celebrations for this Day:
Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: II
Introduction
Year II. Now that he has heard God explain to him that his righteousness does not entitle him to special treatment, Job humbly says that he entrusts himself to God.
Gospel. Modern means of communication have brought the world more closely together and shown us more clearly too the presence of sin and evil in the world; more than half of the world is hungry and exploited, the world economy has gone out of hand notwithstanding dole-outs for development aid, and whole nations are not free from inside or from outside. And in our own little worlds there is repeated selfishness, pride at the expense of others, suspicion… While condemning society’s sins, let us not lose our personal sense of sin in the process; let us not forget our solidarity in sin and, at the same time, live more fully our solidarity with love and life on account of Christ. Sin is a rejection of Christ and his message.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God, merciful Father,
it is easy for us to condemn wars, civil strife,
corruption, exploitation, slavery of any kind.
But we ask you, Lord God, though very timidly,
to open our eyes to the evil in us.
Make us see, Lord, that we are doing
on a small scale, in our own little worlds,
the evil for which we blame the big world.
Make us see that we too are sinners in need of forgiveness
brought us by Jesus Christ our Lord.
First Reading
The LORD addressed Job out of the storm and said:
Have you ever in your lifetime commanded the morning
and shown the dawn its place
For taking hold of the ends of the earth,
till the wicked are shaken from its surface?
The earth is changed as is clay by the seal,
and dyed as though it were a garment;
But from the wicked the light is withheld,
and the arm of pride is shattered.
Have you entered into the sources of the sea,
or walked about in the depths of the abyss?
Have the gates of death been shown to you,
or have you seen the gates of darkness?
Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?
Tell me, if you know all:
Which is the way to the dwelling place of light,
and where is the abode of darkness,
That you may take them to their boundaries
and set them on their homeward paths?
You know, because you were born before them,
and the number of your years is great!
Then Job answered the LORD and said:
Behold, I am of little account; what can I answer you?
I put my hand over my mouth.
Though I have spoken once, I will not do so again;
though twice, I will do so no more.
Have you ever commanded the morning, or shown the dawn its place,
that it might grasp the earth by its edges and shake the wicked out of it,
when it takes on a clay color and changes its tint like a garment;
when the wicked are denied their own light, and their proud arm is shattered?
Have you traveled to where the sea begins Or walked into its deepest corners?
Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of Shadow?
Do you have an idea of how wide the earth is? Tell me if you know all this.
Where is the way to the home of light, and where does darkness dwell?
Can you guide them to their own regions and lead them on their homeward paths?
You know, for you were born before them, and your years are many!
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 139:1-3, 7-8, 9-10, 13-14ab
R. (24b) Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Where can I go from your spirit?
From your presence where can I flee?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I sink to the nether world, you are present there.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
if I settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
Even there your hand shall guide me,
and your right hand hold me fast.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Bless the LORD, all you angels,
you ministers, who do his will.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Who Is the Most Important
At that time, the disciples approached Jesus and asked him:
“Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
Then Jesus called a small child, placed the child in the middle of the disciples
and said: “I assure you that unless you change and become like little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.
Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven,
and whoever receives such a child in my name, receives me.”
Parable of the Lost Sheep
Make sure you do not underestimate any of these little ones; for I tell you, their angels in heaven continually see the face of my heavenly Father.
Prayers of the Faithful
– That the world of today may not lose its sense of sin and “legalise” things that are wrong, we pray:
– That all those hardened in sin may be touched by the Spirit of the Lord to repent and change their ways, we pray:
– That the many who bear a heavy burden of sin and guilt and those who suffer from the sins of others may keep trusting in God’s liberating and forgiving goodness, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God, merciful Father,
in these signs of bread and wine
your Son comes among us with his cross
to put an end to all pride of sin
and to be the starting point of our new existence.
In him you showed us the new person.
Give us his strength to repent and to be converted,
to rise above our petty selfishness
and like him, to love and serve
without counting the cost.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God, merciful Father,
you respect and educate our freedom.
You do not give us guarantees against failure
but you call us to choose and decide.
God, forgive us and help us
when in our clumsy, awkward efforts
to see your Son’s freedom become real and alive,
we take risks and make mistakes.
We want to remain faithful to you
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
We regret it, and in our best moments we don’t really want it, but sin always returns. May God have mercy on us and help us. May God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
Luke 10: 13-16
Repent
In today's Gospel, Jesus rebukes the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida for their lack of repentance despite having witnessed His mighty works. This passage invites us to reflect on our own response to God’s presence and action in the world, especially in the context of creation. Have we become indifferent to the damage we are inflicting on the environment? Do we hear the call to repentance for our role in the ongoing ecological crisis?
Interestingly, Jesus rebuked Chorazin for their lack of response to his mighty works, implying that he did many works there. However, in the gospels, Chorazin is never mentioned as a place of Jesus’ activity, and we know nothing about what Jesus did or said there. This highlights how much we still have to learn about Jesus's life. It reminds us that the gospels are not biographies but only glimpses into his life.