JAMES 4: 1 – 10

Beloved: What causes wars, and what causes fightings among you? Is it not your passions that are at war in your members? You desire and do not have; so you kill. And you covet and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage war. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.  Unfaithful creatures!  Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is in vain that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit which he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace; therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you men of double mind. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.

The Word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 55: 7 – 8, 9 – 10a, 10b – 11, 23 (R.) 23ab

R/. Entrust your cares to the Lord, and he will support you.

I say, “O that I had wings like a dove,
to fly away and be at rest!
I would indeed escape far away,
and take refuge in the desert.” R/.

“I shall await him who saves me
from the raging wind and tempest.”
Engulf and confuse their speech, O Lord. R/.

For I see violence and strife in the city!
Night and day they patrol its walls.
In its midst are wickedness and evil. R/.

Entrust your cares to the Lord,
and he will support you. He will never allow
the just man to stumble. R/.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Galatians 6: 14

Alleluia.
Far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Alleluia.

GOSPEL         
The Son of man will be betrayed. If anyone would be first, he must be last.
MARK 9: 30 – 37

At that time: Jesus and his disciples went on from the mountain and passed through Galilee. And he would not have any one know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to ask him. And they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they were silent; for on the way they had discussed with one another who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the Twelve; and he said to them, “If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child, and put him in the midst of them; and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

The Gospel of the Lord.
Chipiri 21 Chivabvu – May;

Vhiki 7 regore –

Chiverengo chokutanga:
Jemusi 4,1-10

Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mutsamba yaJemusi
1, chii chinokonzera hondo, uye chii
chinokonzera kurwisana pakati penyu? Hadzisi
havi dzenyu here dzinokonzera kurwisana mukati
memitezo yenyu? 2 Munoda chinhu motadza
kuchiwana nezvo munobva monouraya. Munochiva
chinhu asi motadza kuchiwana nezvo morwa
zvokuita hondo. Hamuwani chinhu nokuti
hamukumbiri. 3 Kana mukakumbira hamuwane
nokuti hamukumbiri nenzira kwayo muchitoda
zvenyu kuzvipedzera muhavi dzenyu.
4 Vanhu vasingatendeki! Hamuzivi here kuti
kushamwaridzana nenyika kunoita kuti muvengane
naMwari? Naizvozvo munhu anoda kuva shamwari
yenyika anozviita mhandu yaMwari. 5 Kana kuti
munofunga here kuti Magwaro Matsvene anotaura
pasina paanoti, “Mwari anorwadziwa mumwoyo
neshanje pamusoro paMweya waakati agare matiri,
6 asi anopa nyasha dzakatowanda.” Ndosaka
Magwaro Matsvene achiti, “Mwari anopikisana
navanozvikudza achipa nyasha dzake kune
vanozvininipisa.”
7 Naizvozvo zviisei pasi paMwari. Rwisai Satani iye
achakutizai. 8 Swederai kuna Mwari iyewo
achaswederawo kwamuri. Shambai maoko enyu
imi vatadzi muchenese mwoyo yenyu, imi vanhu
vemwoyo miviri. 9 Suwai muungudze mucheme.
Kuseka kwenyu ngakusanduke kuve kuungudza; kufara kwenyu kuve kusuruvara. 10 Zvirerekei
pamberi paTenzi iye achakukwidziridzai.
Shoko raTenzi.

Rwiyo rwokutsinhira:
Nziyo 55,6-10a.22. (D – 22)

(D) – Turira mutoro wako kuna TENZI, iye achaita kuti urambe wakagwinya.
6 Nezvo ndinoti, dai zvangu ndiina mapapiro
senjiva, ndaibhururuka ndikandozorora.
7 Ndaibhururukira kure ndichindogara kurenje.
(D) – Turira mutoro wako kuna TENZI, iye achaita kuti urambe wakagwinya.
8 Ndaikurumidza kundozvitsvagira pokuvanda
mhepo, inovhuvhuta nesimba nedutu guru.
9 TENZI paradzanisai mupesanise ndimi dzavo.
(D) – Turira mutoro wako kuna TENZI, iye achaita kuti urambe wakagwinya.
Nokuti ndinoona utsinye nokurwisana muguta.
10 Siku nesikati vanoritenderera,
napamusoro pemasvingo aro.
(D) – Turira mutoro wako kuna TENZI, iye achaita kuti urambe wakagwinya.
22 Turira mutoro wako kuna TENZI,
iye achaita kuti urambe wakagwinya.
Haambobvumira kuti vakarurama
vazunguzwe.
(D) – Turira mutoro wako kuna TENZI, iye achaita kuti urambe wakagwinya.

Kupemberera Shoko Rakanaka:
VaGaratiya 6,14

Areruya, Areruya. Hapana chandingazvirovere dundundu, kunze kwomuchinjikwa
waTenzi Jesu Kristu, sokurovererwa kwenyika
pachiri kuti ini ndishaye maturo kwairi.
Areruya.

Shoko Rakanaka: Mariko 9,30-37

Inzwai Shoko Rakanaka rakanyorwa naMariko
30 Jesu navadzidzi vake pavakabva mugomo,
vakapfuura nomuGarirea, asi akanga asingadi kuti
zvizivikanwe naani zvake; 31 nokuti aidzidzisa
vadzidzi vake achiti kwavari:
“Mwanakomana womunhu achaiswa mumaoko
avanhu vachizomuuraya.
Kana auraiwa achamukazve mushure
memazuva matatu.”
32Asi havana kunzwisisa zvaakataura, uye vakatya
kumubvunza. 33Zvino vakasvika Kapenaumu. Vava
mumba akavabvunza achiti, “Manga muchiitirana
nharo dzei munzira?” 34 Vakaramba vanyerere,
nokuti munzira vakanga vachiitirana nharo dzokuti
ndiani mukuru kupinda vose 35Akati agara pasi, akadaidza vane gumi navaviri
akati kwavari,
“Kana munhu achida kuva wokutanga anofanira
kuva okupedzisira pana vose;
agove mushandiri wavose.”
36 Akazotora mwana muduku; akamuisa pakati
pavo, akamugumbatira mumaoko akati kwavari,
37
“Ani naani anogamuchira mumwe wavana
vaduku vakadai muzita rangu,
anogamuchira ini.
Uye ani naani anondigamuchira haasi
kugamuchira ini asi anogamuchira,
uyo akandituma.”
Shoko Rakanaka raTenzi
GOSPEL REFLECTION: Alone with Jesus
May 21, 2024

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it. He was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.” (Mark 9:30–31)

Why would Jesus wish that no one know that He and His disciples were traveling through Galilee at that time? It appears the reason was that Jesus was intently focused upon teaching His disciples about His coming passion, death and resurrection. Today’s Gospel presents us with three moments in which Jesus taught His disciples privately, directly and clearly: first, while they were journeying; second, when they arrived in Capernaum and entered a house; and third, when Jesus called a child over. Though the content of what Jesus taught His disciples is significant, it is also helpful to first reflect upon the simple fact that Jesus spent time alone with the disciples teaching them.

In many ways, our Lord does the same with us. Jesus is constantly calling us to various forms of solitude with Him so that we can listen to all that He wants to teach us. This is difficult for many today. So many people are constantly bombarded with the various noises of the world, are constantly distracted by momentary and passing experiences, and find it difficult to go off with our Lord alone so that He can teach them the most important lessons of life.

As you consider your weekly activities, how much time do you devote to being alone with our Lord? How much time do you spend in prayer, in the reading of Scripture and in silent meditation away from other distractions? For many, this is a challenge.

It is also useful to consider the content of what Jesus taught His disciples in private. He spoke to them about His coming passion, death and resurrection. This was the central purpose of His life and was clearly something that Jesus wanted to communicate to His disciples. Notice also that Jesus spoke very directly and without any figure of speech as He explained this. Contrast that with the many parables He told to the crowds. It appears that when Jesus was able to be alone with those who had dedicated their lives to following Him in faith, Jesus was able to speak His saving message more clearly and directly.

Reflect, today, upon the fact that our Lord wants to draw you into silence and solitude from time to time. He wants to spend time with you alone. This is especially the case for those who have chosen to fully devote their lives to Him and His mission. If that is you, then seek out these moments of solitude in which our Lord can speak more clearly and directly to you so that your faith will deepen and your understanding and knowledge will grow by leaps and bounds.

PRAYER:
Lord, You have so much to say, so much to teach and so much to reveal. As I choose to follow You and devote my entire life to You, I pray that You will continuously draw me into greater silence and solitude so that I can receive from You the deep, clear and direct messages that I need to hear, understand and believe. Jesus, I trust in You.