FRIDAY, AUGUST 23RD 2024.

TWENTIETH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

MEMORIAL OF SAINT ROSE OF LIMA, Virgin.

FIRST READING
“O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. I will raise you from your graves, O my people.”
EZEKIEL 37: 1 – 14

In those days: The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me round among them; and behold, there were very many upon the valley; and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.” Again he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.” So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And as I looked, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no spirit in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the spirit, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O spirit, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the spirit came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great host. Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off. ’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you home into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it, says the Lord.”

The Word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 107: 2 – 3, 4 – 5, 6 – 7, 8 – 9 (R.) 1

R/. O give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for his mercy endures forever!
Or: 
Alleluia.

Let the redeemed of the Lord say this,
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
and gathered from far-off lands,
from east and west, north and south. R/.

They wandered in a barren desert,
finding no way to a city they could dwell in.
Hungry they were and thirsty;
their soul was fainting within them. R/.

Then they cried to the Lord in their need,
and he rescued them from their distress,
and he guided them along a straight path,
to reach a city they could dwell in. R/.

Let them thank the Lord for his mercy,
his wonders for the children of men;
for he satisfies the thirsty soul,
and the hungry he fills with good things. R/.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Psalm 25: 4b, 5a

Alleluia.
Teach me your paths, O Lord. Guide me in your truth.
Alleluia.

GOSPEL               
“You shall love the Lord your God, your neighbour as yourself.”
MATTHEW 22: 34 – 40

At that time: When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, to test him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

*23 Nyamavhuvhu – August; Vhiki 20 regore – Chishanu* *Chiverengo chokutanga: Ezekieri 37,1-14* _Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mubhuku romuporofita Ezekieri_ Ruoko rwaTenzi rwakava pandiri. Akandiburitsa nesimba raMweya waTenzi, akandondiisa mubani, rakanga rizere namapfupa. 2Akandifambisa mukati mawo, kutenderera, wonei akanga ari hungwa- ndagwanda, kuwanda mubani imomo, uye akanga akati papata kwazvo kuoma. 3 “Akanditi nhai mwanakomana womunhu, mapfupa aya angava mapenyu here?” Ini ndakati, “Imi Tenzi Mwari ndimi munoziva.” 4 Akanditizve, porofita kuma- pfupa iwaya uti kwaari, “Imi mapfupa akaoma, inzwai shoko raTenzi. 5 Zvanzi naTenzi Mwari kumapfupa aya, chinzwai, ndichapinza mweya mamuri, mugorarama. 6 Ndichaisa marunda pamuri, ndichaitawo kuti nyama ive pamuri, ndikuputirei neganda, ndigokufemerai mweya mamuri muchiva vapenyu. Muchabva maziva kuti ndini Tenzi.” 7 Saizvozvo, ndakaporofita sokuudzwa kwanda- kanga ndaitwa. Pandaiporofita kudaro, pakaita ruzha, pakave nokukwacharika. Mapfupa achienda kundobatana pamwechete, pfupa richienda pane rimwe pfupa raro. 8Ndakati tarisei onei ave nama- runda, uye ava nenyama, aputirwa neganda. Asi akanga asina mweya. 9 Akazonditi porofita ku- mweya, mwanakomana womunhu, porofita uti kumweya, zvanzi naTenzi Mwari, “Iwe mweya, uya uchibva kumativi mana, ufemere pane vakauraiwa ava kuti vave vapenyu.” 10 Saizvozvo ndakaporofita, sokuudzwa kwandanga ndaitwa, mweya ukapinda mavari vakava vapenyu, vakamira namakumbo avo, ikava hondo huru huru yavanhu. 11 Zvino akanditi, “Iwe mwanakomana womunhu mapfupa iwaya ndiyo imba yose yaIsiraeri; onaka kuti vanoti mapfupa edu aoma, chitarisiro chedu chapera, uye taparara isu. 12Naizvozvo porofita uti kwavari, zvanzi naTenzi Mwari, chinzwai, imi vanhu vangu, ndavakuzozarura makuva enyu, ndikumutsei mumakuva enyu, ndikuunzei kumu- sha kwenyu kunyika yeIsiraeri. 13Ndipo pamucha- ziva, imi vanhu vangu, kuti ndini Tenzi, pandi- chazarura makuva enyu, ndichikumutsai muma- kuva enyu. 14 Ndichaisa mweya wangu mamuri muchiva vapenyu. Ndichakuisai munyika menyu, ndipo pamuchaziva kuti ndini Tenzi ndataura uye ndini ndazviita.” Ndizvo zviri kutaura Tenzi. *Shoko raTenzi.* *Rwiyo rwokutsinhira: Nziyo 107,2-9. (D – 1)* (D) – Tendai TENZI nokuti akanaka, mwoyochena wake hauperi. 2 Vakanunurwa naTENZI ngavadaro, vaakanunura munhamo, 3 vaakakokorodza kubva kudzinyika, kubva kumabvazuva nokumadokero, kuchamhembe nokumaodzanyemba. (D) – Tendai TENZI nokuti akanaka, mwoyochena wake hauperi. 4 Vamwe vakadzungaira murenje vachishaya nzira yokuenda nayo kuguta rokundogara. 5 Vakaita nzara nenyota vakarasa mwoyo. (D) – Tendai TENZI nokuti akanaka, mwoyochena wake hauperi. 6 Vakazochema kuna TENZI munhamo dzavo, iye akavanunura kupfumvu yavo. 7 Akavatungamirira munzira yakati tasa vakasvika muguta rokugara. (D) – Tendai TENZI nokuti akanaka, mwoyochena wake hauperi. 8 Ngavatende TENZI nokuda kwomwoyochena wake uye nokuda kwezviito zvake kuvanhu zvinoshamisa, 9 nokuti anogondwesa ane nyota, uye ane nzara anomugutsa nezvinhu zvakanaka. (D) – Tendai TENZI nokuti akanaka, mwoyochena wake hauperi. Kupemberera Shoko Rakanaka: Nziyo 25,4-5 Areruya, Areruya. Ndiziviseiwo nzira dze- nyu TENZI, Nditungamirireiwo muchokwadi chenyu. Areruya. *Shoko Rakanaka: Mateu 22,34-40* _Inzwai Shoko Rakanaka rakanyorwa naMateu_VaFarisei pavakanzwa kuti Jesu akapwisa vaSa- dhusei, vakaungana. Mumwe wavo aiva gweta akamubvunza mubvunzo wokumuedza achiti, “Mudzidzisi ndoupi murao mukuru mumutemo?” Jesu akati kwaari, “Ida Tenzi Mwari wako nomwoyo wako wose nomweya wako wose, nepfungwa dzako dzose. Iwoyu ndiwo mutemo mukuru, uye wokutanga. Wechipiri wakafanana naiwo unoti, ‘Ida mu- mwe wako sokuda kwaunozviita iwe pachako.’ Mirao miviri iyoyi ndiyo misimboti yemitemo yose navaporofita.” *Shoko Rakanaka raTenzi.

GOSPEL REFLECTION: Loving in Difficult Situations
August 23, 2024

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37–39)

We are very familiar with this passage above. It is Jesus’ answer to the Pharisees who came to test Jesus. Prior to this, a group of Sadducees tried to trap Jesus and failed. So now it was the Pharisees who gave it their best shot to trap our Lord. Of course, Jesus’ answer was perfect. And upon the conclusion of this answer, Jesus returned the favor by asking the Pharisees some questions that they could not answer, and they dared not ask Him any further questions at that time.

Sometimes, being challenged by another in matters of faith helps us, in that it allows us to clarify what we actually believe. Though Jesus did not need clarity for His own sake, He did offer this clarity in the face of trickery so as to help both the Pharisees as well as His followers who were listening attentively.

Have you ever been challenged by another about matters of faith? If so, what was your response? Were you able to respond by the inspiration and clarity given by the Holy Spirit? Or did you walk away confused and unable to respond? Having our faith challenged by another will either result in our own confusion or in our deeper understanding.

By answering this question in the way that Jesus did, He presented the entire Law given by Moses in the Ten Commandments in a new and summarized way. The first three of the Ten Commandments have to do with love of God, and the last seven have to do with love of neighbor. The second commandment Jesus gives, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” is a consequence of the first commandment. How do you “love yourself?” You do so by fulfilling the first commandment Jesus gave: “love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” When God is loved above all, then loving your neighbor simply means that you love God Who dwells within your neighbor in accord with the way God loves them.

It is also helpful to note that it is possible to “love” our neighbor in such a way that is contrary to the love of God. For example, if our love of neighbor is expressed in such a way that is contrary to the Love of God, then this is not true love. Let’s say that your neighbor has chosen a gravely immoral lifestyle. How do you love them with the love of God? You don’t say to them “I support you in your immoral living.” Doing so is not love of God; it’s a selfish form of love that cares more about how the person will respond back to you than caring for their eternal soul. The right form of love for one who has gone astray in an objectively immoral way is to let them know you love them but do not support the choices they are making. And though they may respond negatively to this, caring for their eternal salvation must supersede every desire to simply get along with them.

Love of neighbor, at times, especially when the “neighbor” is a family member who has turned from God, can be challenging. But when it is, think about the way that the Sadducees and Pharisees tried to constantly trap Jesus. He always gave the perfect response of love and never allowed their misguided conversation to leave confusion. So with us, we must rely upon the wisdom and love of God when loving another is difficult. God must guide our every conversation in that case so that the other knows they are loved and so that our love does not deviate from the pure love of God.

Reflect, today, upon the high calling you have been given to love God above all and to love your neighbor with that same love that you have for God. If you find loving someone is difficult, pray for the wisdom you need to remain faithful to them in God’s love alone. And if you find your love challenged, rely upon our Lord to lead you and to give you the words you need when you need them the most.

PRAYER:
My loving Lord, You love all people with a perfect love, and You call us all to love You with our whole heart, soul and mind. And You call us to love others with the love You have for them. Fill my heart with love of You and all people, especially those who are most difficult to love. Give me wisdom, dear Lord, to know how to love others in You so that they will experience Your perfect love in their lives. Jesus, I trust in You!